Numerous cities around the globe have invested in bicycle commuting and recreational cycling infrastructure to provide active/non-motorized options to their residents. The third spoke in the wheel of establishing a complete cycling portfolio in a community is to provide a safe and accessible location for bicycle racing and/or training – a.k.a. a velodrome.

Designed and properly located, a velodrome is a potential economic development tool for a community by attracting cycling competitors from around the country/world, their friends and families, as well as cycling enthusiasts and tourists. Beyond that however, the facility must be designed with the local residents in mind, so that it is not just an intermittent attraction, but a focal point of the entire community. Improperly placed or focused and a velodrome will not be successful in the long term.

As an urban planner, I tend to disagree with the approach of locating lone velodromes in a large park setting away from area restaurants, hotels, shopping, housing, and/or other sport and entertainment venues. To be successful over the long-term and become a community focal point (or great third place), a velodrome must be engrained into the urban environment in the same way a baseball stadium, arena, outdoor ice rink, amphitheater, or civic center are done. Mixing a sports venue with the adjacent urban landscape helps produce economic spin-off and other side benefits beyond the periphery of the track. One only need look at the success of Comerica Park (Detroit), Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore), Cooley Law School Stadium (Lansing), Victory Field (Indianapolis), and similar examples to know that placing a sports venue in the heart of the community can reap many rewards.

To do otherwise risks the potential of an “out of sight, out of mind” scenario that could lead to operational and financial problems. Just like any other kind of real estate – location, location, location are the three most important aspects of assuring a site will be successful.

Beyond the notion of an easily accessible urban location, I believe a velo campus as is being created along Chicago’s south lakeshore is a smarter and more economically viable option than a lone velodrome aimed at serious riders. Here is a list of amenities at Chicago’s velo campus complex:

State of the Art Indoor 250m Velodrome Track

Outdoor and Indoor Mountain Bike tracks (MTB)

Outdoor Cyclocross Track

Triathlon Training Center

Wind Tunnel Facility

Indoor Olympic Sized Swimming Pool

Indoor 400 meter Running Track

Fitness Center

Coaching and Education Facility

Olympic Development Training Center

Youth Beginner, Elite and Masters Programs

Community Center

Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Center

Sports Retail

Cycling Museum

Restaurant, Cafe, and a Healthy Juice Bar

Boulder, Colorado, which is certainly a sport and fitness-minded city, recently endured the closing of its local indoor velodrome which had been open only since 2008. Part of the problem may have been the fact that the velodrome was too singularly focused.

Here in Greater Lansing, locating a velo campus near the heart of the city would help put the metropolitan area on the proverbial fitness and cycling map as an progressive community that champions healthy lifestyles, active sports and recreation, and good fitness. The vicinity of US 127 and Michigan Avenue would be midway between downtown Lansing and dowtown East Lansing/Michigan State University. To me the concept of a multi-purpose velo campus is a much more attractive alternative than a velodrome alone, as it would have options for all ages and skill levels. In addition, to attract year round usage, curling sheets and an outdoor ice skating rink could be incorporated into the project, possibly even within the infield. Personally, I would prefer something positive and health conscious like a velo campus compared to a current proposal of a downtown casino.

While a lengthy list of velodromes (per wikipedia and other sources) is provided at the conclusion of this post, here are weblinks for some American communities that have recently discovered the potential of velodromes include Rock Hill, South Carolina; Erie, Colorado; Washington, DC; and Cleveland, Ohio. A number of additional facilities are proposed or under construction around the world.

Here’s a list of velodromes around the world as identified by wikipedia and other resources (see weblinks) – indoor facilities are so noted.

Argentina (39)

Antonio Ríos Velodrome, San Rafael, 250m

Bahiense Pedal Club Velodrome, Bahía Blanca, 250m

Buenos Aires Municipal (defunct), Buenos Aires, 333m

Chavense Pedal Club Velodrome, Adolfo González Chaves

City of Esperanza Velodrome, Esperanza, 250m

Concepción del Uruguay Track, Concepción del Uruguay

Concordia Municipal Velodrome, Concordia

Don Pedro Milanese Velodrome, Formosa

Eduardo Maero (Bº Ayacucho) Velodrome, Córdoba, 250m

Ernesto Contreras Provincial Velodrome, Mendoza, 333m

Gabriel Deramond Municipal Velodrome, Caleta Olivia

Gen. Belgrano Park Velodrome (defunct), Salta

Héctor Cassina Velodrome, Rafaela, 250m

Jorge Batiz Velodrome, Corral de Bustos

Julio Polet Panamerican Velodrome, Mar del Plata, 250m

KDT Circuit Velodrome, Buenos Aires, 333m

Las Breñas Cycle Assoc. Velodrome, Las Breñas, 400m

Luján Velodrome, José María Jáuregui

Luna Park (defunct), Buenos Aires

Mayo Park Velodrome, San Juan, 400m

Posadas City Park Velodrome/Track, Posadas

Reconquista Municipal Velodrome, Reconquista, 333m

Resistencia Velodrome, Resistencia, 400m

Río Cuarto Municipal Velodrome, Río Cuarto, 250m

Roberto “Paco” Echegaray Velodrome, San Carlos de Bariloche

Rosario Municipal Velodrome, Rosario, 250m

Rubén Rosetti Velodrome, Junín, 333m

Rufino Velodrome, Rufino

Sáenz Peña Velodrome, Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

San Francisco Velodrome, San Francisco, 400m

San Luis Provincial Velodrome, San Luis, 250m

San Nicolás Track, San Nicolás de los Arroyos

Thompson Beach Complex Track, Paraná

Trenque Lauquen Circuit, Trenque Lauquen

Tres de Febrero Velodrome, Villa Martínez de Hoz

Unzué Park Municipal Velodrome, Gualeguaychú

Velodrome of the Lagoon, Santa Rosa

Venado Tuerto Municipal Velodrome, Venado Tuerto

Vicente Alejo Chancay Velodrome, San Juan, 250m

Australia (39)

Australian Capital Territory

Narrabundah Capital Velodrome, Canberra, 333m

New South Wales

Dunc Gray Velodrome, Sydney, (indoor) 250m

City of Tamworth Velodrome

Tempe Velodrome, Earlwood

Toormina Velodrome, 330m

Unanderra Velodrome, Wollongong, 270m

Hurstville Velodrome, Sydney

Lidcombe Oval, Lidcombe, 430m

Lavington Sports Ground, Lavington, Albury 250m

Wagga Cricket Ground, Wagga Wagga

Northern Territory

Darwin Velodrome, Darwin, 333m

Dalgety Road Velodrome, Alice Springs, 333m

Queensland

Gold Coast Cycling Centre, Nerang, 356m

Kenrick Tucker Velodrome, Rockhampton, 333.33m

Chandler Velodrome, Brisbane

South Australia

Adelaide Super-Drome, Gepps Cross, (indoor) 250m

Blue Lake Sports Park Velodrome, Mount Gambier, 250m

Graeme Jose Velodrome, Whyalla, 269m

Port Pirie Velodrome, Port Pirie, 502m

Tasmania

St. Helens Velodrome, St Helens

Silverdome, Launceston, (indoor) 287m

Victoria

Bob Whitford Velodrome, Newborough

Joe Ciavola Velodrome, Darebin International Sports Centre (DISC), Melbourne, (indoor) 250m,

Brunswick Velodrome, East Brunswick, 312m

Castlemaine Velodrome, Castlemaine

Chelsea Velodrome, Edithvale, 502m

Coburg Velodrome, Coburg, 250m

David Blackie Velodrome, Ararat, 250m

H.A. Smith Reserve Velodrome, Hawthorn, 250m

Hisense Arena, Melbourne, (indoor) 250m

Kyneton Velodome, Hurry Reserve Kyneton, 250m

Maryborough Velodrome, Avoca Rd Maryborough, 333m

Packer Park Velodrome, Carnegie, 335m

Sale Velodrome, Sale

Shepparton Velodrome, Shepparton, 333m

Tom Flood Sports Centre Velodrome, Bendigo, 412m

Wangaratta Velodrome, Wangaratta, 490m

Warragul Velodrome, Warragul, 333m

Western Australia

Collie Velodrome, Collie, 333m

Perth SpeedDome, Midvale, (indoor) 250m

Austria (1)

Ferry-Dusika-Hallenstadion, Vienna, (indoor)

Belgium (14)

Gent-Blaarmeersen, Vlaams Wielercentrum Eddy Merckx (250m, covered) Ghent

Gent “Kuipke” (167m, wood, indoor) (somewhere referred as Citadel Park Velodrome) Ghent

Antwerpen, Antwerps Sportpaleis (indoor) Antwerpen

Zemst (Elewijt), 377m

Hulshout, 384m

Ans (Alleur), 400m

Peer – Length, 400m

Charleroi (Gilly), 250m

Rochefort (Jemelle), 400m

Rebecq (Quenast), 333.33m

Oostende (Stene), 333.33m

Antwerpen (Wilrijk), 333.33

Brugge (Assebroek), 333.33m

Beveren, 400m

Bolivia (1)

Velodromo de Alto Irpavi, La Paz (city), 333m

Canada (9)

Alberta

British Columbia

New Brunswick

Vélodrome Caisse Populaire de Dieppe, Dieppe

Ontario

Quebec

Bromont Velodrome, Bromont

China (2)

Laoshan Velodrome, Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics

Guangzhou Velodrome, Guangzhou, 2010 Asian Games

Cuba (1)

Velodromo Reinaldo Paseiro, near Havana

Denmark (3)

Ballerup Arena, Copenhagen, (indoor)

Odense Cykelbane, Odense

Århus Cykelbane, Århus

Estonia (1)

Pirita Velodrome, Tallinn

Finland (3)

Helsinki Velodrome, 400m

Turku Velodrome, 333,33m

Tampere Velodrome, 200m, (in bad shape)

France (14)

Germany (26)

RSG, Augsburg, (indoor)

Velodrom, Berlin, (indoor)

Bielefeld

NRW-Leistungszentrum, Kaarst-Büttgen, (indoor)

Stadthalle, Bremen, (indoor)

Chemnitz

Cottbus

VCD, Darmstadt

“Badewanne”, Dudenhofen

Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, (indoor)

Gera

Stellingen, Hamburg, (covered)

Wuelfel, Hannover

Radstadion, Köln, (semi-covered)

Rosch-Kampfbahn, Leipzig

Mannheim

Olympiahalle, München, (indoor)

Reichelsdorfer Keller, Nürnberg

Oberhausen/Baden

Leistungszentrum BW, Oeschelbronn

Rostock

“Schanzenberg-Bahn”, Saarbrücken

Schopp

Singen/Hohentwiel

Solingen

Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart, (indoor)

Greece (1)

Olympic Velodrome (Athens) (indoor)

Hungary (2)

Millenáris (Millenarian) Sports Yard, Budapest, 412 m (1896)

Tamási track,city of Tamási, 400 m

India (5)

Indian Cycling Velodrome 333 m

Commonwealth Games Velodrome, New Delhi, (indoor) 250m

Jabalpur,Veerangna Rani Durgawati Sports Complex Jabalpur

Hyderabad, Osmania University

Guru Nanak Dev University Cycling Velodrome, Amritsar

Italy (3)

Japan (70)

Tracks for amateur races (City/Velodrome/Length)

Aomori Hachinohe Velodrome 333 m

Iwate Shiwa Velodrome 333 m

Miyagi Prefectural management Velodrome 400 m

Miyagi Taiwa City Velodrome 333 m

Akita Rokugo Velodrome 500 m

Yamagata Shinjyo Cycle Sports Contre 400 m

Fukushima Izumisaki International Cycle Stadium 333 m

Tokyo Tokyo Dome Stadium(Indoor/Sectional) 400 m

Ishikawa Uchinada Velodrome 400 m

Yamanashi Sakaigawa Velodrome 400 m

Nagano Karigane Velodrome 333 m

Shizuoka Japan Cycle Sports Centre 250 m

Shizuoka Japan Cycle Sports Centre 400 m

Shizuoka Nihon Keirin Gakko (Japan Keirin School) 333 m

Shizuoka Nihon Keirin Gakko (Japan Keirin School) 400 m

Osaka Kansai Cycle Sports Centre 400 m

Hyogo Akashi Velodrome 400 m

Tottori Kurayoshi City Velodrome 333 m

Shimane Ota City Velodrome 333 m

Fukuoka Moji Keirin Velodrome 500 m

Miyazaki Prefectural management Park Velodrome 400 m

Kagoshima Nejime Velodrome 400 m

Okinawa Prefectural Management Park Velodrome 333 m

Tracks for Keirin races(City/Velodrome/Length)

Lithuania (1)

Cido Arena, Panevėžys (indoor)

Malaysia (2)

Mexico (1)

Velodromo Agustín Melgar, Mexico City 250 m

The Netherlands (3)

Velodrome – Amsterdam – 200m (indoor)

Sportpaleis – Alkmaar – 250m (indoor)

Omnisport – Apeldoorn – 250m (indoor)

New Zealand (13)

Manukau Velodrome, 285m, Auckland

Wanganui Velodrome, 250m, Wanganui

Te Awamutu Velodrome, 450m

Rotorua Velodrome, 333m

Wellington Velodrome, 333m, Wellington

Nelson, 512m

Denton Park, 400m, Christchurch

Tinwald, 400m, Ashburton

Timaru, 400m

Temuka, 400m

Waimate, 400m

Seddon Park Velodrome, 250m, Dunedin

Invercargill ILT Velodrome, 250m, Invercargill

Nigeria (1)

Abuja Velodrome, Abuja (indoor)

Pakistan (9)

Lahore (indoor) 250m (under construction)

Islamabad (under construction)

Sialkot (under construction)

Faisalabad (under construction)

Sargodha (under construction)

Hyderabad (under construction)

Rahim Yar Khan (under construction)

Quetta (under construction)

Peshawar (under construction)

Peru (2)

National Velodrome La Videna, Lima

Velodrome Cerro Juli, Arequipa

Philippines (1)

Poland (1)

BGŻ Arena (indoor) 250m

Portugal (2)

Anadia Municipality – Centro de Alto Rendimento

Sangalhos Velodrome

Russia (1)

Velodrome (Velotrack) “Krylatskoe” Moscow (indoor)

South Africa (4)

South Korea (2)

Spain (6)

Sweden (1)

Falun, YA Arena, 190m, (indoor)

United Kingdom (23)

England

Northern Ireland

Orangefield Track, Belfast, 396 m

Scotland

Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh, 250m

Caird Park Velodrome in Dundee, 400m

Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, (indoor – under construction)

Wales

United States of America (29)

California

Colorado

District of Columbia

DC Velodrome in Washington, DC (under construction)

Florida

Brian Piccolo Park Velodrome in Miami (Cooper City)

Georgia

Dick Lane Velodrome in Atlanta (East Point)

Illinois

Indiana

Major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis, 333m

Louisiana

Baton Rouge Velodrome in Baton Rouge, 333 m

Michigan

Minnesota

National Sports Center Velodrome in Twin Cities (Blaine), 250 m

Missouri

Penrose Park Velodrome in St. Louis

New Hampshire

New England Velodrome in Londonderry, 333 m

New Jersey

Garden State Velodrome in Wall, 400m

New York

Kissena Park Velodrome in New York City (Queens), 400m

North Carolina

Mellowdrome in Asheville, 500m

Ohio

Broadway Slavic Village Velodrome in Cleveland, 166m (to open on 6/16/12)

Oregon

Alpenrose Velodrome in Portland, 268.43m

Pennsylvania

Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Allentown (Trexlertown), 333m

South Carolina

Giordana Velodrome in Rock Hill, 250m (2012)

Texas

Superdrome in Dallas (Frisco), 250 m

Alkek Velodrome in Houston, 333m

Washington

Wisconsin