Sports Illustrated asked Populous, the stadium designer responsible for the two expensive clunkers currently housing the New York baseball teams, to imagine stadia of the future, the future being the 2030s. “Living Park,” a more organic and communal structure, is the answer the firm returned. An excerpt from Tim Newcomb’s article:

“Looking forward, there’s no need for the high-arching concrete and steel that separate today’s stadiums from the city around them. [Designers Brian] Mirakian anticipates ‘transformative stadiums that will really build a community.’ The glass structures horseshoed around Living Park, for example, aren’t just premium seating, but also serve to combine the city and stadium. A street front on one side that hosts everything from offices and apartments to retail and restaurants turns into a stadium portal on the backside, offering stellar views onto the field. Instead of rising out of the city, the stadium sinks into it.

Trending data suggested increased urban densification, giving Mirakian the idea to create a linear park environment that allows the building to play as the central theme—a place activated during a game, but where the community can gather at any time, during either the season or offseason. In this case, the building itself is defined by the edges of the city, acting as a window into the building on game days. There’s no need for fanciful facades, as the stadium instead flows with the park and city.”