If You Build It, Will Crime Come? An Investigation Of Major League Soccer Stadium Construction

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2026

School

Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences

Abstract

Objectives: Examine if the building of five Major League Soccer (MLS) stadiums affected pre-existing spatial and temporal crime patterns in the area surrounding the stadiums during and after construction. Analysis of pre- during- and post- construction hot spots and trends allow for a natural experiment. Methods: Property and violent crime data were gathered from publicly available crime data. Hot spots analyses assessed whether there were spatial shifts in crime across pre-, during, and post-construction periods. Time-series analyses examined aggregate crime trends over the same intervals. Results: Findings do not indicate stadium construction sites generate more crimes surrounding the stadiums during and after construction. Changes in crime distributions trends were not directly attributable to stadium construction. Conclusions: The development of “dead zones” surrounding stadiums during construction and increases in capable guardianship may prevent increases in crime. Null findings provide a positive outlook for future stadium construction projects.

Publication Title

Journal of Experimental Criminology

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS