urban implications of sport: analyzing nfl stadium proposals for los angeles
justin a. fye
table of contents | 04 HISTORICAL OUTLOOK 06 VARIABLE TRENDS IN STADIA 08 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS 10 LOS ANGELES METROPOLITAN 12 LOS ANGELES CITY 14 LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM 16 AEG / GENSLER PROPOSAL 18 DODGER STADIUM / ROSE BOWL 20 CITY OF INDUSTRY 22 MEIS ARCHITECTS PROPOSAL 24 INGLEWOOD 26 HKS PROPOSAL 28 CARSON 30 MANICA ARCHITECTURE PROPOSAL
building a new nfl stadium in los angeles has been a hotly contested topic since the late 90's, after the departure of both the oakland raiders and la rams in 1995. unfortunately 1995 has remained as the key date for the nfl in los angeles for 2 decades now, but there is a rich history of the nfl in l.a.
nfl in los angeles ]history[ 1979. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosts the NFL Pro-Bowl. 1946. Cleveland Rams move to Los Angles, forming the city’s first NFL team. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum become the home of the team.
1982. Oakland Raiders move to Los Angeles amidst owner Al Davis’ hope of pay-per-view television in the Los Angeles television market. The team begins playing the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
1940. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosts NFL All-Star Game
1983. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California hosts Super Bowl XVII.
1939. Los Angeles Bulldogs operate as the first professional football team in Los Angeles, playing in a number of leagues
1986. Los Angeles Rams begin playing in the newly constructed Anaheim Stadium. 1987. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California hosts Super Bowl XXI.
1938. Los Angeles Wrigley Field hosts NFL All-Star Game
1993. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California hosts Super Bowl XXVII.
1935. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosts NFL All-Star Game 1932. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is built as a home for the Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles
1995. Los Angeles Rams leave Los Angeles for St. Louis due to low attendance rates and the dissatisfaction of the owner with opportunities for stadium upgrades.
Los Angeles Raiders Logo, Vintage 1982
1995. Los Angeles Raiders leave Los Angeles and return to Oakland, California
1926. Los Angeles Buccaneers test the market by playing as a visiting team in LA, based in Chicago
2001. Billionaire Phillip Anshutz tries to gain support of the city council for a stadium proposal near Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, but is denied because renovation of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is preferred. 1960. Orange County Ramblers play as a member of The Continental Football League.
2005. Los Angeles Dodgers Owner Frank McCourt vocalizes interest in bringing an NFL stadium adjacent to Dodger Stadium in the Chavez Ravine.
1950 - 1972. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosts NFL Pro Bowl games each year.
2008. Reports surface that a stadium proposal for the City of Industry could become the home of nfl teams with soon to be expiring stadium leases in their current locations.
1967. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosts Super Bowl I. 1972. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosts Super Bowl VII and NFL Pro Bowl.
2012. Mega-developer AEG began negotiations for locating Farmer’s Field adjacent to the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles
1977. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California hosts Super Bowl XI. 1979. Los Angeles Rams finalize move to Anaheim amidst angst between team ownership and city officials over dissatisfaction with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as a suitable home. Lack of attendance, lack of vicinity parking and a location in the dangerous neighborhood of south central Los Angles forced the move. Los Angeles Rams Logo, Vintage 1951
1915
1927
2014 .St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke purchases approximately 60 acres of land adjacent to the Forum in Inglewood, California, sparking rumors about a development for City of Champions Stadium to returen the Rams to Los Angeles.
1980. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California hosts Super Bowl XIV.
1940
1952
1965
1977
2015. The Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers announce plans for a joint NFL stadium to be located in Carson, California.
1990
2002
2015
in the meantime, trends in nfl stadiums around the u.s. have shown television ratings and ticket prices have a relatively negligible effect on attendance rates, while the quality of the stadium design, age of the stadium, and the stadiums proximity to the city center have a direct impact on attendance
variable trends in nfl stadium attendance rates ]analytic[
Television Ratings v. Attendance Levels
Stadium Ranking v. Attendance Levels
105 100 095 090 085 080 075 070 070
075
080
085
090
095
100
105
110
110
110
105
105
Attendance Level ]% full[
110 Attendance Level ]% full[
Attendance Level ]1 year +/- % Change[
115
100 095 090
080 01
06
11
16
21
26
31
00
095 090 085 080 Distance from City Center ]Miles[
25
30
40
50
110
105 100 095 090 085 080
20
30
Average Ticket Prices v. Attendance Levels
Attendance Level ]1 year +/- % Change[
Attendance Level ]1 year +/- % Change[
100
Data from ESPN Stats & Information, Graphical Analysis compiled by Justin A. Fye.
20
Stadium Age ]Years[
Proximity to City Center v. Attendance Levels - Outlier Removed
105
15
10
Stadium Ranking ]Athlon Sports[
110
10
090
080 115
110
05
095
085
Proximity to City Center v. Attendance Levels
00
100
085
Television Ratings ]1 year +/- % Change[
Attendance Level ]1 year +/- % Change[
Stadium Age v. Attendance
105 100 095 090 085 080
00
02
04
06
08
Distance from City Center ]Miles[
10
12
14
16
150
200
250 Ticket Price ]$$[
300
350
a comparison of the demographics of the los angeles market with the average demographics of nfl fans tend to support providing a home to nfl franchises in los angeles. Top demographic supporters of the nfl have maintained a strong hold in the los angeles market, particularly in the cities which have become home to nfl stadium proposals most recently. the majority of nfl fans also tend to identify as both fans of other sports present in the los angeles market as well as with being interested in prevalent industries in the los angeles market. as such it is likely that any nfl team present in this market would gather supporters from fans of the dodgers, angels, lakers, clippers and kings, as well as from those in the music, restaurant, film and television markets. celebrities, a key component of the los angeles marketplace, are also well know to identify as sports and nfl fans through the increased visibility and exposure offered from being present or performing at such events
demographic comparison ]los angeles cities v. nfl fans[
Median Income $80,000 $70,000 $60,000 $50,000
% demographic distinctions who identify as nfl fans Gender 74% of males 56% of females
% of demographic distinctions who identify as nfl fans Ethnic 64% of asian americans 74% of black / african americans 60% of hispanic 65% of white / caucasian
% demographic distinctions who identify as nfl fans Age 59% age 16 - 24 69% age 25 - 34 67% age 35 - 44 66% age 45 - 54 63% age 55 - 64
Median Income
$30,000 $20,000 $10,000 $- Los Pasadena Industry Inglewood Carson Angeles
% of nfl fans who follow other sports present in los angeles citites Sport 72% of mlb fans (dodgers, angels) 58% of nba fans (lakers, clippers) 47% of nhl fans (kings) 29% of mls fans (galaxy) % of nfl fans interests aligning with prevalent industries in los angeles Industry 62% of those interested in music 61% of those interested in food / restaurants 60% of those interested in film / movies 56% of those interested in tv shows / tv series
% of demographic distinctions who identify as nfl fans Income Group 60% of bottom 20% earners 67% of mid 50% earners 76% of top 25% earners Los Angeles
$40,000
Pasadena
Industry
Inglewood
Carson
White
White
White
White
White
Black
Black
Black
Black
Black
Asian
Asian
Asian
Asian
Asian
Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic
49.78 % male | 50.22% female
49.70 % male | 50.30% female
49.70 % male | 50.30% female
3,884,387 population
138,553 population
207 population
NFL fan data provided by Jason Mander, Head of Trends at www.globalwebindex.net, Demographic Data provided by 2013 U.S. Census - accessed from city-data.com, Graphical Analysis compiled by Justin A. Fye.
47.30 % male | 52.70% female 111,542 population
48.50 % male | 51.50% female 92,599 population
from an urbanist position, the key problem in analyzing stadium proposals for los angeles is the well documented and observed lack of city center. as was evident in our trip to la, transportation and arrival to place can be a real issue. as such, i analyzed each of the proposed stadium locations independently, including downtown los angeles (memorial coliseum and staples center), industry, inglewood and carson
4
5 405
14
2
3 12
10
13
1
7
cities of los angeles county ]urban Sprawl + lack of Identity[ 1
Los Angeles - Downtown
2
Alhambra
City
legend
Beverly Hills
4
Burbank
5
Carson
6
Compton
7
Culver City
8
El Segundo
9
Industry
10 Inglewood 11 Long Beach 12 Malibu 13 Santa Monica 14 West Hollywood
10 8
110 6
5 405
Primary Roadway 3
9
11
los angeles: downtown, chavez ravine, u.s.c., u.c.l.a.
legend
stadia mapping ]los angeles[ 1
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
1
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Renovation
2
Staples Center
Primary Roadway
2
Farmers Field
Existing Sports Stadia/ Arena
3
Dodgers Stadium
New Sports Stadia Proposal
3
Chavez Ravine Proposal
4
2
3 4
3
Rose Bowl
101
2
10
2
1 1
405 110
Key Map
710
the los angeles memorial coliseum, long known for its presence in the 1932 olympic games was home of the original los angeles rams and later the oakland raiders, and also serves as home of the university of southern california (u.s.c.) trojans football team. since the departure of the rams and raiders in 1995, the memorial coliseum has consistently been used in plans for the future of the nfl in los angeles. major renovations of the stadium continue to be a possibility due to the political implications previously discussed. urbanisticly, the stadium is contextually well situated - near the staples center and dodger stadium, as well as u.s.c. campus, the los angeles convention center and the fashion district. easily accessed from the 405, the 10 and the 110, the stadium would not have an issue with transportation to its location, although the consistent grid-lock of those interstates could be an issue in the case of adding an additional strain on those roadways during prime events. while the la coliseum seems to continue to provide great function and contextual history for u.s.c. football games, the los angeles coliseum would quickly find itself located at the bottom of the rankings in the design of nfl stadia, likely having a problem filling the stands again, as was the issue when both the rams and raiders departed in 1995.
current los angeles stadia ]Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum[
1
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Renovation
1
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
legend
Dodgers Stadium Sports / Recreation
Civic Institution
Fashion
Staples Center Los Angeles Convention Center Fashion District University of Southern California
Education 1 1
Key Map
proposal ]L.A.M.C. Renovation - RTKL Associates Inc.[
located in the same market, farmers field proposed by AEG and Gensler looks to embed itself into the area identified as downtown los angeles. immediately adjacent to staples center and only a short distance from dodgers stadium, the area would be easily identifiable as sports and stadium central. the national paradigm for grouping stadia into distinct districts is dying, though, as it has been found that stadia have the ability to function as urban catalysts and are now more likely to be placed in areas of mid range development with an opportunity of growth, either on the fringe of a urban development, or even removed
legend
current los angeles stadia ]Staples Center[
2
Proposed Farmer’s Field
2
Staples Center - Los Angeles Lakers
Dodgers Stadium
Sports / Recreation 2 2
Civic Institution
Los Angeles Convention Center Fashion District
Fashion
Education
Key Map
University of Southern California
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
proposal ]Farmers Field - AEG / Gensler[
dodger stadium also exists in the los angeles downtown area, particularly in the chavez ravine. while this district has seen interest in development from past dodger's owner Frank McCourt, he has since sold the team amidst bankruptcy trouble and his interest never developed further. land directly adjacent to the dodger stadium property was sold with the ownership of the team and remains in their hands for future development. the last of the prominent existing los angeles stadiums is the rose bowl, located in pasadena california. as was seen by driving past the stadium while on our way to the Art Center College of Design, the rose bowl sits entirely on its own amidst a sea of parking. while the stadium functions as a great historic home to the u.c.l.a. bruins football team and plays host the Rose Bowl, now one of the college football playoff semifinal events, it would not be suitable to house a professional football team.
current los angeles stadia ]Dodger Stadium[ 4
3
Dodgers Stadium - Los Angeles Dodgers 3
legend
4
Rose Bowl - University of California - Los Angeles
Sports / Recreation
Staples Center Los Angeles Convention Center
Civic Institution
Fashion District University of Southern California
Fashion Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Education
Key Map
current pasadena stadia ]Rose Bowl[
the city of industry proposal for a new stadium in the los angeles market centers around St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke's 60 acre land purchase.
city of industry: new MEIS Architects proposal
upset with the current situation and lease with the edward jones dome in st louis, kroenke purchased the land in industry, forcing st. louis' hand in extending the annual lease with the current venue. developed by Meis studio with offices based in new york and los angeles, the stadium would stand as a large piece in the development of an entire portion of los angeles county. while the proposed venue attempts to market itself as an all purpose, year round attraction, its location and limited present adjacencies and access points seem to leave it destined for a far less appreciated culmination.
stadia mapping ]city of industry[ legend
5
MEIS Proposed Stadium
Primary Roadway
Sports / Recreation 605
10
California Country Club Whitter Narrows Recreational Area
5
Dwight D. Eisenhower Golf Course Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary
Key Map
proposal ]MEIS Architects[
located south west of los angeles sits another stadium proposal for the los angeles market, centered around the design from HKS Sport out of Dallas, Texas
inglewood: new HKS proposal
situated between the Forum and the Hollywood Park Casino and Racetrack, this site is the prime location for a stadium in los angeles county. located near los angeles international airport and the intersection of the 405 and the 105, access would be relatively easy for both residents and non-resident fans. In addition, by traveling the 5 to the 405, fans from adjacent cities, particularly that of san diego would be able to easily make their way up to games of interest. The nearby surroundings of the Forum and casino also provide a backdrop off of which a more developed urban fabric can be developed, providing the type of situation recent stadiums have followed in design
legend
stadia mapping ]inglewood[ 6
HKS Proposed Stadium
Primary Roadway 405
Inglewood Park Cemetery
The Forum 6
Holywood Park Casino & Racetrack Los Angeles International Airport 105
legend
Sports / Recreation
Concert Venue
Airport
Key Map
proposal ]HKS[
located in carson california, a design by Manica Architecture is the final, and most recent proposal to gain support for an nfl stadium in the los angeles market
carson: new Manica Architecture proposal
designed to be a joint home for the san diego chargers and oakland raiders, the proposal has strong access points from both the 405 and 105. similar to the inglewood proposal, the stadium would benefit from ease of transportation, but with the most dense activity in the area revolving around education and a large golf course, this urban proposal does not feature the adjacency strengths of the downtown or inglewood proposals
legend
stadia mapping ]carson[ 7
Monica Architecture Proposed Stadium
Primary Roadway 110
Gardena High School California State University Dormitories 7
The Links at Victoria Golf Course
405
legend
Sports / Recreation
Education
Key Map
proposal ]Manica Architecture[