Social perception of technological innovations at sports facilities: justification for financing ‘white elephants’ from public sources? The case of Euro 2012 Stadiums in Poland

Abstract

The main purpose of the paper is to provide a monetary valuation of social benefits in connection with the hypothetical implementation of technological innovations at four Euro 2012 stadiums in Poland. Not only the construction of the sport’s arenas, but also the ongoing maintenance drain the pockets of Polish taxpayers. At the same time Euro 2012 stadiums remain underused, which familiarize the host cities with the concept of ‘white elephants’. Due to the application of the contingent valuation method (CVM), the social effects obtained by the residents of four Polish cities were linked to proposed technological innovations, which were given appropriate monetary values. The research has proved the importance of technological innovations at the Euro 2012 stadiums in Poland. As a result, the residents of four Polish cities valued the social benefits related to the implementation of these innovations at PLN 70 million (USD 18 million).