Initial designs have been revealed for the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor district, Qatar. The stadium is set to host one of the two semi-finals during the FIFA World Cup in 2022 - if the gulf state keeps its right to host the tournament following investigations into corruption. Clearing work has already begun on the site of the stadium and construction is set to be completed by 2018.

Grimshaw Architects has been selected to design new recreational sports facilities in Doha, following an international competition backed by the Qatar Olympic Committee. Despite recent allegations of corruption linked to the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Grimshaw's design aims to move away from this and focus on the health and wellness needs in Doha, by providing a haven for Qataris whose current sports participation is somewhat limited. Grimshaw’s mission was twofold

Newly promoted League One side Fleetwood Town FC has been granted planning permission to start work on a new £6m training complex. Designed by architects Croft Goode, the facility will become home to Fleetwood Town’s first team, Thornton-Cleveleys FC and members of the local community. The site, based on Poolfoot Farm in Thornton, Lancashire will house a full-size 3G pitch, as well as a number of grass pitches, associated changing

Plans for the Philadelphia 76ers to create a new practice facility and office building along the waterfront of Camden, New Jersey, have taken a step forward, after the US state's Economic Development Authority (EDA) approved US$82m (€60.5m, £48.8m) in tax breaks for the team. The agreement will see instalments of US$8.2m (€6m, £4.8m) paid out annually over a 10-year period to cover state corporate business taxes, on the premise that

The construction of the new Minnesota Vikings stadium has been given a further boost after the venue was awarded the 2018 NFL Super Bowl. Expected to be complete by 2016, the Vikings Stadium has been designed by architects HKS, along with a Vikings Stadium Consortium made up of Studio Hive, Studio Five & Lawal Scott Erickson Architects. The 65,000-capacity stadium, thought to be running up a cost of around US$1bn

London’s mini-Holland concept, pioneered by the London Cycling Campaign (LCC), has shifted up a gear since its inception. Now, with further formulated plans, the three bid winning boroughs have had architectural figureheads appointed to each project. Supported by Transport for London (TFL), London mayor Boris Johnson and several prominent architects, three outer London boroughs are being given £30m (US$50m, €37m) each to revolutionise their cycling habits. Each of the boroughs

The United States Tennis Association is seeking to further its development of the sport following plans to introduce a US$60m (€44.1m, £35.7m) training complex in Orlando, Florida. The 63-acre project will be based in the Lake Nona area, supplying USTA and its members with the use of over 100 courts. The centre will house the USTA's Community Tennis and Player Development divisions, which are primarily based in New York. The

Plans for a US$477m (€350.5m, £284.5m) downtown arena for the Sacramento Kings basketball team are likely to soon become a reality, following the City Council’s recent decision to approve development plans. The new venue has been designed by architects AECOM and will seat in the region of 18,500 people when completed. Once work gets underway later this year at the Downtown Plaza complex, it is believed that Turner Construction will

Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) has unveiled plans for a 20-year, £50m (US$83m, €61m) expansion of Headingley, in order to safeguard the ground’s status as an international venue. The project, drawn up between the club, Leeds City Council, Leeds Rugby and DLA Architecture, will see the ground’s capacity increased from 17,090 to 20,362 and consist of six phases. Once complete, the stadium will feature a new progressive pavilion, as well

The realisation of a new stadium for Greek football club AEK Athens FC is looking more likely, following positive discussions between its board and parliamentary opposition group Syriza The second largest party in the Greek parliament had originally been opposed to the idea of the Thanassis Kyratsous-designed stadium, but it now appears the group will vote in favour of Article 81, which concerns the building of the new stadium. The

Construction work is progressing on architects Herzog & de Meuro’s new football stadium in Bordeaux, France, with the venue being completed in time for use in the Euro 2016 championships. Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux will provide seating for up to 42,000 spectators, with an expected competition date due in 2015 to provide adequate preparation time for the next European football tournament beginning a year later. The construction of the project

The San Francisco 49ers American football side has released a raft of new details ahead of the scheduled opening of the team’s new US$1.2bn (€881m, £715m) Levi’s Stadium, including a new museum dedicated to the team. As the project nears completion, the team has revealed details of a 20,000sq ft (1,858sq m) 49ers Museum, which will be open daily and will give fans the chance to use a pass-and-kick simulator,

The Atlanta Braves baseball team has moved a step closer to sealing a move to their future home after Cobb County Commissioners gave unanimous approval for American Builders 2017 to operate as construction manager for the new ballpark, set to open in February 2017. American Builders 2017 – a joint venture between Brasfield & Gorie, Mortenson Construction, Barton Malow Company and New South Construction – will oversee the build on

Plans for a €177m (US$240.6m, £143.5m) 17,000-seat addition to Dutch football side Feyenoord’s new ground have been rejected in favour of a brand new 70,000-all seater stadium costing €200m (US$271m, £162m). The newest set of plans – proposed by a consortium of BAM, Eneco Energie and Siemens – would see a brand new 70,000-all seater stadium built at a cost of €200m (US$271m, £162m). Red Kuip – a fan backed

Japanese sports chiefs have green lighted Tokyo’s controversial stadium development for the 2020 Olympic Games. Despite fierce opposition from some of Japan's most prolific architects, including the former Pritzker Prize winner Toyoo Ito, plans for the Tokyo Olympic Stadium have been given the go ahead. The government-affiliated Japan Sport Council have released new design proposals reducing the project's size by more than 20 per cent and cutting the estimated cost

A row has erupted over David Beckham’s vision for a major football stadium located on the last publicly accessible waterfront in Miami, Florida. The proposed stadium, designed by Arquitectonica and 360 Architecture, is based on an open-air design with an undulating roof and a maximum capacity of 35,000. Despite John Alschuler – Beckham’s real estate advisor – commenting that the stadium would “create jobs and opportunities for local businesses”, the

New images have been released to show how Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium will look once the 6,000-seat stadium expansion is completed. City gained planning permission in February to extend the stadium capacity, with engineering firm Laing O’Rourke overseeing the construction. An integrated Laing O’Rourke Group team will carry out the expansion, with work starting at the beginning of April. Interesting aspects of the new pictures include versatile signage on the

An application to list Bristol Rovers stadium in Horfield as a war memorial has been rejected by English Heritage. The club is planning to sell off the stadium, which will be turned into a supermarket, to finance the £40m purchase of a new home ground at Frenchay. There has been significant opposition to the proposed ground switch by a small group of protesters, with a legal battle over Sainsbury’s plans

David Beckham’s proposed US$200m (€145m, £120m) Miami football stadium has been almost universally accepted by all sectors of the city. The only thing that can’t be decided upon is the stadium’s location. Beckham’s new Major League Soccer franchise is hoping to build on the port of Miami, but the plan's chief opponent is the Miami Seaport Alliance, a coalition of business and political leaders that operates in the dock. The

The Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) has been ordered by the Development and Planning Commission (DPC) to cease unauthorised work being carried out on the proposed Europa Point stadium. The order came last month when it was discovered works including drilling had been undertaken without the correct permissions to do so, against a backdrop of strong local opposition. The DPC also asked the GFA to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Detroit's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has approved a recommendation by Olympia Development of Michigan to name Barton Malow-Hunt-White as the general contractor for the new US$450m (£265m, €323) Detroit Red Wings arena. The proposed 18,000-seater arena for the National Hockey League (NHL) team will replace the current Joe Louis Arena, which has been home to the Red Wings since 1927. The development is part of a larger US$650m (£421m, €497m)

Plans have been revealed for Italian premier league football club AS Roma's new 52,000-seat stadium, inspired by the colosseum of ancient Rome. The proposed structure, design by London-based Woods Bagot, will allow Roma to move out of its current 72,000-capacity stadium, which is also home to rivals Lazio. To be located on the riverside at Tor di Valle, south west of Rome’s city centre, the site will feature a hydraulic

The new £22m Aquatics Centre at the Aberdeen Sports Village (ASV) in Scotland has opened to the public. Facilities at the centre include an Olympic-standard 50m, 10-lane swimming pool and a separate, competition-standard 25m pool with diving facilities and seating for 500 spectators. The centre has become one of only ten facilities in the UK with full diving facilities and platforms up to 10 metres. The Aquatics Centre, designed by

Phase three of a masterplan for the Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Kansas, US, has been unveiled with a proposed new football complex designed by sport architects Populous. The latest phase of the project is estimated to cost US$65m (£38.3m, €46.6m) and will feature a new 250,000sq ft (23,000sq m) Vanier Football Complex structure with the aim of maintaining and securing K-State’s competitive future and enhancing the overall experience of

Batchwood Sports Centre in St Albans, Hertfordshire is to reopen on 26 May following a £6.6m redevelopment. The centre, which was devastated in an arson attack in 2011, includes six indoor tennis courts - an increase on the four in the previous facility - and a new home for the St Albans Judo Club. Other facilities include a 48-station health club with a strength and conditioning suite and refurbished squash

Fulham Football Club has been granted a river works licence to enable it to progress on development of its Riverside Stand. Fulham received planning consent for the development in July 2013, subject to the licence being obtained. The club is now in a position to commence with a projected timetable for the development. One of the key considerations of the Port of London Authority in granting the licence is the

Major League Soccer (MLS) side Orlando City SC has announced that sports architecture specialists Populous will work as lead architects on its proposed 18,000-seat stadium, while Barton Malow will oversee development on the downtown project. The US$84m (€60.5m, £49.9m) stadium scheme – a 50/50 public-private partnership – has seen US$40m (€28.8m, £23.7m) pledged by the club, with the remainder coming from various public contributions. The stadium will be operated by