523: Janet Marie Smith on Designing the Fan Experience from Camden Yards to Dodger Stadium

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Janet Marie Smith, EVP of Planning and Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers and co-founder of venue consulting firm Canopy Team, to discuss her remarkable career transforming some of America’s most iconic sports venues. Smith shares the origin story of her path into sports, from urban planning work at Battery Park City in New York to cold-calling Baltimore Orioles president Larry Lucchino and landing the job that produced Camden Yards (the ballpark widely credited with launching a new era of baseball stadium design). The conversation explores the philosophy behind Camden Yards and why its success came from treating the venue as an extension of the city rather than an isolated destination, a principle Smith has carried through subsequent work at Fenway Park, Dodger Stadium, and beyond. She discusses the Dodgers’ ongoing 14-year renovation journey, the creation of the two-and-a-half-acre center field plaza that now draws fans through new entrances, and how the balance of high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech amenities shapes the modern fan experience. Smith also weighs in on the debate between urban and suburban stadium development, shares her perspective on the mixed-use model pioneered by the Braves and Padres, and reflects on what the best international venues get right.Connect with Janet Marie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smithjanetmarie/Subscribe to the CUSP Show: SubstackThe CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR) and produced by Sam Henry (@s_henry11), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with social media efforts led by Lissa Ruiz and Sydney Cristall. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com