VITAL CITIES Urban sports promotion for social inclusion, healthy and active living BASELINE STUDY URBACT III VITAL CITIES is a network of European cities, funded by the European Union in the frame of the URBACT III Programme. VITAL CITIES seeks answers to 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. 1 Table of Contents I. STATE OF THE ART ..................................................................................................... 4 1. Foreword: aims and context ..................................................................................... 4 2. Introduction to the VITAL CITIES concept .................................................................. 4 3. Sport and physical activity for the promotion of healthy lifestyle ................................... 4 3.1. Key definitions and principles .............................................................................. 4 3.2. Benefits of physical activity ................................................................................ 5 3.1. The problem of physical inactivity ........................................................................ 7 4. The challenge of tackling inactivity for cities ............................................................... 7 5. How urban design can encourage people to move ....................................................... 9 5.1. WHO Healthy City Framework ............................................................................. 9 5.2. The existing link .............................................................................................. 10 5.3. Deprived areas ................................................................................................ 12 5.4. What do cities already do? ................................................................................ 13 5.5. Useful planning guidelines and principles ............................................................ 15 6. European Policy Context ........................................................................................ 17 6.1. European Union............................................................................................... 17 6.2. The World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe .................................... 18 6.3. Networks and relevant cooperation projects ........................................................ 19 7. Themes of the VITAL CITIES Concept ...................................................................... 21 7.1. Implementing community-based actions to redesign the public space .................... 21 7.2. IT-based actions to redesign public space ........................................................... 23 7.3. Better orchestrating the services coordinated by the city to promote a healthy life style and social inclusion ......................................................................................... 24 7.4. Establishing innovative physical (not IT) equipment to promote sport in public spaces ........................................................................................................................... 26 7.5. Organisation of innovative events to promote healthy lifestyle .............................. 27 Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 30 II. PROFILES OF THE PARTICIPATING CITIES .................................................................. 33 1. City Profile of Loulé ............................................................................................... 33 2. City Profile Birmingham ......................................................................................... 40 2 3. City Profile 13th District of Budapest ........................................................................ 49 4. City Profile Burgas ................................................................................................ 56 5. City Profile Krakow ................................................................................................ 63 6. City Profile Liepaja ................................................................................................ 71 7. City Profile Rieti .................................................................................................... 79 8. City Profile Šibenik ................................................................................................ 87 9. City Profile Ústí nad Labem .................................................................................... 94 10. City Profile Vestfold County ................................................................................. 100 III. SYNTHESIS .......................................................................................................... 107 1. Learning needs of partner cities ............................................................................. 109 2. Needs in terms of capacity building ........................................................................ 114 3. Potential Contribution in terms of experience ........................................................... 116 4. Potential contribution of good practice related to the project themes .......................... 117 5. Development of Integrated Action Plans.................................................................. 122 6. Initial composition of the ULSGs ............................................................................ 122 7. Overall conclusion ................................................................................................ 122 3 I. STATE OF THE ART 1. Foreword: aims and context This report aims to present the recent research and practice exploring the relationship between the built environment and the use of this environment for physical activity (sports) which impacts on social cohesion and healthy living. It mostly concentrates on the European level, but it also refers to a few globally relevant examples. 2. Introduction to the VITAL CITIES concept Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity on health and well-being there is a global prevalence of inactivity and sedentary lifestyles across all age groups. Governments and cities should take action to reverse this trend as it causes serious health risks, has high economic and social costs and negative environmental consequences. The built environment can both discourage and encourage physical activity. Cities should thrive for creating an enabling environment that is safe and accessible and can play a role in increasing physical activity levels of the whole population. Especially people living in deprived urban areas should be offered the opportunity and the means to engage in sport activities on a daily basis. Therefore participants of the VITAL CITIES network aim to enter into a dialogue and learning process on how to (re)design public spaces using the power and common language of sport for the promotion of healthy lifestyle with a special focus on deprived residential areas. Instead of bringing inactive citizens to sports facilities, public space should be turned into a low threshold facility inviting all citizens to 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. The network has already identified five key themes to be investigated during the learning process. These can be applied as innovative, low-cost solutions for these areas. The key themes of the VITAL CITIES network are: (1) identifying community-based and/or (2) IT-based actions to redesign public spaces linked to leisure sport activities, (3) better orchestrating the services of the city to promote healthy lifestyle, (4) designing innovative physical activities to promote sport in public spaces and the (5) organisation of innovative events to promote healthy lifestyle. 3. Sport and physical activity for the promotion of healthy lifestyle 3.1. Key definitions and principles Physical activity is an essential part of human functioning and a prerequisite for health and wellbeing. The European Union (EU) Working Group Sport and Health adopted a broad definition of physical activity, which is used for the purpose of this report. Physical activity is defined as 4 “any bodily movement associated with muscular contraction that increases energy expenditure above resting levels” (EU, 2008).1 This includes all possible circumstances: ● leisure-time physical activity (including most sport activities and dancing) ● occupational physical activity ● physical activity at or near one’s home ● physical activity in connection with transport Within this framework sports is referred to as “all forms of physical activity, which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being” (Council of Europe, 1992).2 In a wider social context, sport can be regarded as a common language that cuts through social differences. According to the noted social scientist Zygmunt Bauman, it is “one of the few institutions in society, where people can still agree on the rules” (quoted by Superflex Studio).3 This is the basis of sport for all principle, which emphasises everyone’s right and ability to participate in