Looking at the neoliberal transformation of stadiums from the commons perspective: Case of Trabzon

By neoliberal policies that have increased in impact since the 2000s, state-managed, supported by mass sports and with the characteristics of being a leisure activity for everyone, sports have turned into a commercial industrial business line participated by minorities and watched by the majorities that orbit around the spectator sports based on contact and players showcasing these sports. In this context, in Türkiye, although the task of developing sports and delivering it to everyone is seen as a service that should be carried out by the state in the legislation and development plans, it has been put on the secondary plan. This process has led to a transformation of all sports facilities, resulting in the transfer of most scarce resources to the construction of huge stadiums, which have become places of prestige for the showcasing of a spectator sport that is football. Especially after the year 2000, as a result of neoliberal policies and the industrialization of sports, these large stadiums that were built, have been strong public investments determining the direction of urban development, creating a new center with various commercial uses they hold. Similarly, the fate of the urban spaces formed as a result of the demolition of the old stadiums has been the subject of great debate and they were sacrificed to urban rent to a significant extent. Within the scope of the study, the failure experienced despite the goal of delivering sports to everyone in the legislation and development plans of our country was associated with the non-recognition of the commons identity of sports and the fact that it became an industrial business line as a result of those policies. First, the transformation process of a total of 20 stadiums from 19 provinces throughout the country was examined within the scope of data obtained from internet sources and satellite images. Afterwards, the transformation experienced in the Province of Trabzon in particular; has been examined by associating it with the commons identity of sports within the scope of the planning process, urban actors and users. Consequently, suggestions have been developed aimed at delivering sports fields to more users in a more equitable manner. Keywords: Sports, Stadium, Commons, Neoliberal Policies, Trabzon