Conceptual Model Building of Urban Sports Competitiveness Evaluation

In the ongoing processes of human societal industrialization, urbanization, and modernization, sports have emerged as a pivotal benchmark for gauging a city's strides in civilizational advancement. Recent scholarly endeavors have delved into the assessment of sports in urban settings, centering on the intertwined dynamics of cities and sports. Yet, a fitting theoretical framework for building a conceptual model to evaluate urban sports competitiveness has remained elusive. This paper formulates a conceptual model for urban sports evaluation, rooted in a competitive standpoint. Through a meticulous review of pertinent research on cities' sports competitiveness, the paper considers the a city's sports competitiveness meaning a city's capacity to generate a comparative advantage in sports development, surpassing other cities through possession, attraction, allocation, and transformation of sports resources. Drawing from urban competitiveness research outcomes and the iterative refinement of the “Competitiveness Causal Analysis Model,” a comprehensive model for evaluating urban sports competitiveness is established. This model encapsulates a city's sports competitive strength, potential, and outcomes, thereby providing insights into the foundation, current status, and future trajectory of urban sports competitiveness. Leveraging literature analysis, expert consultation, and content analysis, a framework for assessing urban sports competitiveness is further crafted, elucidating 14 specific elements pivotal to the evaluation of urban sports competitiveness.