Urban sports promotion for social inclusion, healthy and active living
VITAL CITIES seeks answers on how to combat social exclusion through the redesign of public spaces in deprived residential areas by using the power and common language of sport; through innovative community and IT based urban sport actions, innovative physical equipment and better orchestrated service delivery. The project tackles TO9 (“promoting social inclusion and combating poverty”).The project applies a novel approach: instead of bringing inactive citizens to sports facilities, public space should be turned into a low threshold sports facility, inviting all citizens to physical activity. Street layout, land use, location of recreation facilities, parks and public buildings, the transport system can all encourage or discourage physical activity. Opportunities for physical activity need to be created close to where people live, while also creating cleaner, safer, greener and more activity-friendly local environments.In order to reach this, cities need to be equipped with new, innovative tools to be used in urban design and planning (to redesign public spaces linked to sport activities, urban sports, games, physical exercises) to adequately provide for recreation and sport services and exploit potential social, health and economic benefits. Partners will create the “vital cities” brand, to be allocated to cities ensuring open access to recreation and sport services and breaking down barriers to participation especially within the less active, deprived population.