I was in Rome during the recent Derby della Capitale, the face-off between the city’s two big football teams, Roma and Lazio (writes Stella Roos). It was a reminder of the force with which stadiums shape cities: the evening air smoky and electric; everyone in the neighbourhood keeping score based on the roars coming from the stands.

Hundreds of new arenas are being built worldwide. When designed as functional parts of the urban fabric, they can animate a city. Casablanca is building the Hassan II, a 115,000-capacity stadium set to become the world’s largest; in Paris, buyers bidding for Red Star FC are promising to spruce up the team’s historic Stade Bauer as a spur to economic growth in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine; in New Orleans, Trajan Architects’ $560m (€540m) renovation of the Caesars Superdome has brought investment and energy.

In Santa Giulia, Milan, the first stadium by David Chipperfield Architects will be finished this year. The 16,000-capacity covered arena will host hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics and later serve as a sports and cultural venue. “A stadium has so many technical aspects,” says lead architect Leander Bulst. “Yet it needs to be expressed in a way that people can relate to.” The designs evoke ancient amphitheatres. Now, as then, stadiums bring crowds and energy to a city. Done well, they can be game-changers.