Optimal location-allocation model for the installation of rooftop sports facilities in metropolitan areas

Research question: Many factors should be considered when selecting the optimal location to establish a sports facility. This study develops a framework to select a set of optimal rooftop locations for sports facilities in a metropolitan area. The framework considers various spatial characteristics to recommend sites that maximise the satisfaction of sports participants. Research methods: The framework used conjoint analysis (CA) and maximal covering location problem (MCLP). A CA was conducted to identify the properties that affect the potential player’s utility. The next step is to evaluate buildings based on spatial characteristics of the locations. Finally, MCLP is conducted to select the final buildings. Results and findings: Making use of floating population data, the selected buildings are more concentrated on central areas and near underground stations, whereas the buildings are more scattered over the whole district and near residential areas when utilising the census data. Overlapping positions identified by both datasets are considered the optimal sports facilities locations. Implications: This study contributes to the existing research by applying spatial big data to sports management. Furthermore, our results enable sports managers to apply the framework developed in this study to the location selection of a variety of sport facilities.