Filling a gap in the literature on the history of sport in Europe, the book brings together complementary studies on diverse aspects of the interrelation between sport and urban space. Going from geography to political science, from sports history to urban and transport history, it suggests a three-fold approach. A first thematic group of researches ranges around "Sport Development and Urban Spaces", exploring the impact of the city on the rise of sport. A second focal point is related to "Sport Policies and Local Identities" with a special attention given to the making of sport venues and competitions in the making of urban identity. A third thematic group includes studies on "Sport Facilities, Engineers and Workers". The articulation of the three parts builds a unique contribution to the process of identity making at a European level.

This book was published a sa special issue of the International Journal of the History of Sport.

Daniele Peila is Associate Professor at the Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering at the Politecnico di Torino, Italy.

Giulia Viggiani is Professor at the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University in the UK.

Tarcisio Celestino is Professor in the Department of Geotechnics at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.