| INNERCITY | Densely populated area, and a hint to the capitals in the starred answers |
| ASTRODOME | A way to perform in the capital in the sports centre (9) |
| SNEAK | Despicable character giving directions to the capitals of Australia and Kenya (5) |
| SANAA | Middle Eastern city that's one of the ten highest capitals in the world |
| ICE | Center ___ (hockey rink area, and a hint to this puzzle's theme) |
| BASKETBALLCOURT | 4,700-square-foot play area, and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| THECLOUD | Virtual storage area, and a hint to words that start 17-, 25-, 34- and 48-Across |
| INSIDELANES | Passing areas, and a hint to what 17-, 24-, 38-, and |
| GHETTO | Densely populated area of a city inhabited by a socially and economically deprived minority (6) |
| FUNNYBONE | Sensitive elbow area, and a literal hint to the circled letters |
| WARRENHASTINGS | Densely populated area - a battleground for a colonial administrator |
| WARREN | Put on guard to protect soldiers in densely populated area |
| TOWN | Densely populated area to west and north (4) |
| URBAN | In a densely populated area (5) |
| ASHWIN | Former captain of the Punjab Kings, who moved to the Delhi Capitals in 2020 |
| DOVER | Shipping forecast area - and a port in Kent (5) |
| HIROSHIMA | City in Japan; target in 1945 of the first atomic bomb dropped on a populated area (9) |
| ANTIGUA | The capital in Guiana designed by one of those in the West Indies (7) |
| CLOSEBY | Just around the corner, drop first of bags between capitals in Chad and Yemen (5,2) |
| POTENZA | City in Basilicata which is one of the highest regional capitals in Italy (7) |
