Soccer as the Commons: Negotiating Resilience Through an Adaptive Stadium Framework

Abstract

As cities confront escalating climate crises and deepening social inequalities, urban infrastructure must evolve beyond static, reactive systems. This thesis repositions stadiums as adaptive urban commons, challenging conventional resilience strategies that prioritize physical infrastructure over social cohesion. Using Halifax as a test site, this research develops a methodologically driven framework that integrates modular adaptability, programmatic flexibility, and social infrastructure into stadium design. Through spatial analysis, iterative design research, speculative visualization, and urban commons integration, this study proposes a stadium typology that functions across three modes, sport/entertainment, public plaza, and disaster response, providing civic resilience before, during, and after crises. Grounded in urban resilience critiques from Stavros Stavrides, David Harvey, and Eric Klinenberg, this thesis advances a replicable methodology for embedding adaptability into large-scale urban infrastructure. By shifting stadiums from single-use entertainment spaces to continuously active civic assets, this research redefines their role in both urban resilience and everyday public life.