Governance and Political Processes in Local Facility Development

The development of sports infrastructure is a pivotal requirement for promoting physical activity within communities. This encompasses a wide range of facilities, from ice rinks to illuminated trails, and their provision largely hinges on local governance and initiatives. Local authorities play a vital role in financing, ownership, and facilitation, though this relationship can differ across regions. Despite their significance, the intricacies of the political processes affecting sports facility development have not been adequately explored. This gap in research necessitates a deeper understanding of the political and strategic elements that shape the landscape of sports infrastructure.

To address the dearth of information, this Research Topic aims to shed light on the underlying governance mechanisms that govern local facility policy. Key objectives include understanding the prerequisites for effective policy-making, identifying stakeholder interests, and uncovering the power dynamics that influence facility development. It is crucial to examine who benefits, who is disadvantaged, and whether these facilities align with the population's current and anticipated activity profiles. Additionally, the organization, management, and public steering of sports facilities are identified as essential areas warranting further investigation.

To gather further insights into this multifaceted field, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Funding for sports and physical activity facilities: Who funds these facilities, and how?
• Involved stakeholders: Which actors are engaged in defining what gets built?
• Power dynamics: Who wields the most influence in these processes?
• Alignment with activity patterns: Do existing and planned facilities match current and future activity trends?
• Emerging activity trends: What new patterns of activity are driving demand for different types of facilities?
• Effectiveness of policy: How does local facility policy contribute to broader sport policy goals?

Keywords: local policy, governance, political processes, sport facilities, sport development

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.