What to Do with Abandoned Soccer Stadiums? Turn Them into Housing

Thousands of people are displaced by construction for Olympics

One of the rarely-cited costs of events like the Olympics and the World Cup is borne by the poor – many of whom are displaced from their housing to make way for expensive construction projects that ironically, will more often than not sit unused after the event. The human cost of these events is staggering. While some people are evicted outright, and their homes condemned or seized by government authorities, others are financially pushed out of the neighborhood after rents rise dramatically in anticipation of the influx of people.

Solution: convert “white elephant” sports stadiums back into affordable housing

An estimated 250,000 people were displaced by construction for the World Cup. A proposed project in Brazil seeks to convert abandoned sports facilities into apartment housing for people displaced by the events. While currently only in proposal mode, this idea highlights the usefulness of turning underutilized public works back to the people who most need them.

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• Takepart | This bold idea could transform Brazil’s empty soccer stadiums into the world’s coolest apartments

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• Is there an unused public property in your city? Share this idea with your public officials.