THE EVOLUTION AND PRESERVATION OF PROFESSIONAL BALLPARKS IN NEW YORK CITY
No Access Until
Permanent Link(s)
Collections
Other Titles
Author(s)
Abstract
New York City has a long history of professional baseball activities since the mid-19th century and has kept a high level of baseball excellence in the country. Baseball franchises and their facilities shaped the city on the cultural identity. The construction and demolition of those facilities reflect the trend of overall city development. Meanwhile, the demolition of Yankee Stadium faced similar problems that some other cities have experienced, which have caused substantial public attention and debate. Historic ballparks and stadiums have symbolic significance, but they have not received enough attention in preservation, especially from the related departments. A combination of economic, political, and social factors has prevented these buildings from being protected in the same way as those commonly included in the scope of the existing preservation concept.This thesis mainly uses historical study methods combining case study approaches to provide a clear view of the evolutionary processes of professional baseball playing fields, ballparks, and stadiums in New York City. This thesis provides insight into the relationship between the transition of those facilities and the city development to help readers better understand the economic, social, political, and many other forces that contributed to the processes in a continuous view. Then, the thesis also discusses the recent preservation actions and debates for Yankee Stadium in the city. It analyzes the decision-making process and how other demolished ballparks and stadiums have been memorized. By tracing back to the problems or trends that many people previously faced, this thesis helps to understand better and optimize future stadium construction and preservation. This thesis generally illustrates the importance and significance of professional baseball facilities in the city and hopes to raise public awareness of historic preservation. By providing valuable pieces of evidence from the past, this thesis delivers reasonable anticipation for future actions on baseball structures and other kinds of historic sports facilities. This thesis hopes to guide stakeholders and the general public to make suitable choices between demolition and preservation when considering public benefits, economic interest, cultural identity, etc.