Building Sport’S Green Houses

Abstract

This chapter discusses the current trends in sustainable sport facility design, with a focus on sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design and operations. The chapter explores the integration of pro-environmental design in the planning, construction, operation, and maintenance of sport facilities. The environmental, economic, and social benefits of sustainable design represent compelling reasons to engage in pro-environmental behavior. Owners of green sport facilities may realize positive publicity, new sponsorship opportunities, tax credits, reduced utility costs, longer facility lifecycles, and long-term savings They often draw tens of thousands of people to a single site, thereby increasing traffic that contributes significantly to air pollution. Facilities like football stadiums are used infrequently, while others constructed for international mega events like the Olympic and Paralympic Games may be abandoned altogether. In many ways, large sport facilities are antithetical to green building. On game days, they create huge strains on local resources.