Cities across America are redefining what successful sports, entertainment and mixed-use districts are—and what they are not.

Facing tighter public budgets, growing skepticism about publicly funded venues and the reality of underperforming legacy facilities that sit idle most days of the year, city leaders are under pressure to show tangible, everyday value from these major investments.

As a result, these districts are no longer conceived as single-purpose destinations. Instead, they’re being designed as connected, walkable, all-day places that knit neighborhoods together, support local businesses and create lasting value for a wide range of daily users.

Transportation: The Quiet Enabler  

City leaders are leveraging major event facilities to do more than just fill seats. With the goal of extending the value of these assets before and after games or concerts, they want people to linger, explore and return, whether that means dining at nearby restaurants, spending time in public plazas or enjoying everyday neighborhood services that make the district part of daily life.

This shift keeps sidewalks and stores busy, while also advancing a broader definition of return on investment (ROI). Traditionally, ROI for these venues has been narrowly measured: ticket sales, attendance figures or event-day revenue. As districts evolve into places that function daily, leaders are adopting a broader definition of value that accounts for walkability, civic identity, neighborhood vitality and how well these places support daily life.

The quiet enabler for this shift is transportation. Because these places generate nontraditional trip patterns—peak “ins” and “outs” no longer are limited to rush hours—a more-resilient district needs to anticipate such complexity and offer different options for visitors. Choices such as high-quality transit, safe walking routes, protected bike access, rideshare pickup/drop-off spots and smart parking management create opportunities for vibrancy unrelated to a venue’s headline act.

“For these districts to succeed, they can’t function as isolated destinations,” says my colleague Daniel Baer, senior vice president and national business lead for major infrastructure development at WSP in the U.S. “Their long-term value depends on how well they are connected to the broader region, linking people, jobs and activity across the transportation network so access extends well beyond the immediate neighborhood.”

Just as important are seamless connections within the district itself, where clear pedestrian routes, intuitive wayfinding and safe multimodal paths allow people to move comfortably among venues, public spaces and nearby destinations.

When planned intentionally, thriving districts deliver more than eventday activity; a deliberate approach ensures residents as well as visitors share in the benefits.

Principles for Hard-Working Districts  

Success requires early stakeholder engagement, visible messaging and alignment across city, county and state partners. They need transparent goals, clarified uses of revenue and authentic community involvement.

Without that groundwork, even the best design will struggle to gain traction.

“These projects are fragile undertakings, and success depends on early stakeholder engagement,” explains another of my informed colleagues, Andy Doctoroff, senior vice president of program management at WSP in the U.S. “Starting with benefits that can be seen, measured and held accountable is far more likely to build a foundation of support.”

These guiding principles draw on lessons learned and many conversations with colleagues who have delivered similar projects across our country:

1. Start with a broad, inclusive vision. Define the district as more than entertainment, and embed community purposes from the outset.

2. Design for everyday use. Mix housing, retail, cultural space and parks so there’s a reason to visit 365 days a year.

3. Embed multimodal mobility from day one. Plan for flexible, scalable options, ranging from transit to walking, biking and smart parking.

4. Connect the district to the greater region. Prioritize intuitive, safe and legible links to surrounding neighborhoods and regional networks.

5. Build stakeholder alignment early. Clarify who benefits and how funds flow, and tie dollars to deliverables that residents can track.

6. Use revenues strategically. Sequence investments early on so wins generate the momentum and resources for next-phase infrastructure.

We’ve seen these ideas play out in places such as Nashville’s Lower Broadway Historic District, Columbus’ Arena District, Milwaukee’s Deer District and the Wharf in Washington, D.C.

Places that Endure  

Large urban-development ambitions demand durable funding and careful governance. Blended approaches—such as public and private sources, targeted grants, amenity revenue and phased development—help these districts shoulder upfront costs and sustain operations.

Equally important is resetting expectations, as agencies, owners and partners align what will be delivered and how success will be measured. Such clarity earns credibility and keeps coalitions together when projects hit inevitable headwinds.

Ultimately, cities should ask themselves a simple question: does this district work on the days when there’s no event on the calendar? In those cases, who benefits? If the answer is residents, local businesses and the surrounding community, then the district is far more likely to endure.