Education
PhD, Sport Management, The University of Michigan
LLM, The University of Michigan Law School
LLM, The University of Calgary
JD, Peter A. Allard School of Law, The University of
British Columbia
BA (Hon.) Political Science, The University of British
Columbia
Areas of Expertise
Sport Venues; Events; Law; Urban Studies; Finance; Athletes’ Villages; Host Contracts
Robert is an assistant professor of sport management at Towson University. He previously
held posts at Georgia State and Northumbria University. Prior to academia, Robert
practiced local government law British Columbia and Alberta.
Robert's research focuses on sport venues, events, and urban development, frequently
integrating aspects of law, finance, tourism, and real estate. In addition to his
PhD research at the University of Michigan focused on tax increment financing and
major league venues, Robert's academic work has been published in sport management,
law, urban studies, and public administration journals in the US, UK, and Canada.
His grant-funded research for the Olympic Studies Centre has investigated the finance,
development, and legacy of athletes' villages for multisport mega-events. Robert has
also been featured in media outlets including The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun,
and The Globe and Mail.
Select Publications
-
Sroka, R. (2025). East enders: athletes’ villages and urban regeneration in Manchester,
Glasgow and London. Town Planning Review. https://doi.org/10.3828/tpr.2025.10
-
Sroka, R. (2024). Subsidizing a sports arena in a bankrupt city: Detroit's Little
Caesars Arena. Social Science Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13424
-
Sroka, R. (2022). Financial Fair Play and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Journal
of Global Sport Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/24704067.2022.2032258
-
Sroka, R. (2021). Mega-Events and Rapid Transit: Evaluating the Canada Line 10 Years
After Vancouver 2010. Public Works Management & Policy, 26(3), 220–238. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087724X211003099
-
Sroka, R. (2021). International Sporting Mega-Events and Conditionality. International
Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 13(3), 461-477. https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2021.1905034
-
Sroka, R. (2021). Does the arena matter? Comparing redevelopment outcomes in central
Dallas tax increment financing districts. Land Use Policy, 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105431
-
Sroka, R. (2021). Mega-projects and Mega-events: Evaluating Vancouver 2010 Stadium
and Convention Infrastructure. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 25(3), 183-200. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2021.1881590
- Sroka, R. (2021). A Survey and Discussion of Tax Increment Financing Statutes and
Major Professional Sports Facilities. The Urban Lawyer, 50(3), 309-369.
-
Sroka, R. (2020). Tax Increment Financing and Major League Venues. Sport, Business
and Management: An International Journal, 10(4), 495-517. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBM-09-2019-0076
-
Sroka, R. (2019). Getting STIF[fed]: Louisville’s KFC YUM! Center, Sales-Tax Increment
Financing and Megaproject Underperformance. Urban Affairs Review, 56(5), 1553-1580.
https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1078087419830527
