A lack of exercise in everyday urban life combined with increasing health consequences for people of all ages – some cities are currently struggling with this. And this despite the fact that sport in public spaces is more popular than ever before. Landscape architect Ulrike Böhm finds: ‘Now is the ideal time for holistic strategies and master plans for urban exercise spaces. Some cities are already getting off to a flying start. […]

A lack of exercise in everyday urban life combined with increasing health consequences for people of all ages – some cities are currently struggling with this. And this despite the fact that sport in public spaces is more popular than ever before. Landscape architect Ulrike Böhm finds: ‘Now is the ideal time for holistic strategies and master plans for urban exercise spaces. Some cities are already getting off to a flying start.

Open spaces are a decisive factor for the quality of life in cities in many respects: they are places of social integration and facilitate encounters and social participation – people from all population groups meet here. As green islands, they improve the urban climate and enable the aesthetic experience of nature and the built environment. And: they form the framework for recreation, play and exercise.

It is precisely this framework that is currently gaining in importance. The range of exercise and sport-oriented activities in public open spaces is expanding. Increasingly, initiatives with the same sporting interests are organizing themselves, often spontaneously, “bottom-up” and in loose alliances: They arrange to meet via social networks for calisthenics, yoga or slacklining. Meeting point: the nearby park. Numerous photos and videos on Instagram, YouTube and co. bear witness to this development.

City parks and green spaces are the new sports grounds. They have to cope with this additional load. At the same time, the demand for clubs with dedicated outdoor and sports areas is falling. And this is happening when public open spaces are already in short supply. In the medium term, this will shift the relationship between open and dedicated areas. Spacious open meadows are broken down into a patchwork of specific sports and recreational facilities for selected user groups. This is often done without regard for the existing design and without the landscape architect who originally planned it.

However, projects such as Israels Plads in Copenhagen by Cobe Architekten, Landhausplatz in Innsbruck by LAAC and Westpark in Augsburg by Lohaus Carl Köhlmos Landschaftsarchitekten (see page 20 of G+L 11/2019) show that it is worth entrusting the planning to a landscape architect and, at best, thinking about the requirements when designing open spaces.

Space for movement

It is pleasing to see that the new desire for movement in public spaces is also leading to the rediscovery or re-discovery of neglected places. One example is the Park’n’Play parking garage by JaJa Architekten in Copenhagen. On the roof is a large tartan landscape with climbing poles and nets (see page 36 in G+L 11/2019).
Areas that initially appear less attractive, such as transport infrastructure or former industrial facilities, are also benefiting from the trend. Examples include the 15 Colonnade Bike Park in Seattle and Underpass Park in Toronto. Both were unused areas under bridges that city dwellers discovered for themselves as bike parks and playgrounds. Inspired by this individual appropriation and the commitment of civic actors, the two places are now being officially repurposed and upgraded.

The fact that such previously unattractive areas are being used and revitalized also changes their public perception and connotation. Residents and neighbors meet there. And finally, upgrading measures are set in motion that improve the quality of the open space and thus further expand the range of users.
But it’s not just active people who meet up to do sport together. A recent study by Deutsche Krankenversicherung (DKV) shows: More than half of German citizens do not exercise for even half an hour a day. Politics, administration and planning disciplines have now recognized these two opposing trends. Above all, a low-threshold range of sports facilities would be important.

However, all of these facts are not yet a consistent design theme for open spaces or part of urban planning concepts. There is also a lack of funding for informal sport and exercise-oriented activities. To make matters worse, the responsible departments in the administrations belong to specialist areas. Cross-departmental cooperation is necessary for a city-wide concept for the development of urban exercise spaces. Nevertheless, a handful of German cities have taken up the issue. Hamburg, for example, has been promoting the Global Active City label since 2018. In order to receive this label from the Active Wellbeing Initiative, cities must offer an active and health-conscious lifestyle. The cities must successfully undergo a detailed review of their sport and exercise strategies.

Stuttgart is also currently drawing up a “Master Plan for Urban Physical Activity Spaces” in order to compile concrete solutions. The focus is on two goals: Urban spaces are to be designed in such a way that movement is easily possible in everyday life. They should then be gradually linked together to promote physical activity. The concept is cross-departmental. Part of the process, which is supported by a team of planners, was an extensive public survey and an interdisciplinary symposium.

It is clear that the topic is anchored at different levels. On the one hand, it is about movement in everyday life. And therefore, of course, about appropriately designed public spaces. But it is also quite simply about the bakery or supermarket next door. When they close, very few people make the further journey on foot. After all, the internet is just a click away and the car is just around the corner. Cities and municipalities need to counteract these developments through planning, or at least create new attractive destinations.

On the other hand, the focus is also on people with an affinity for exercise, who are increasingly conquering parks and competing for space. Digital options should be created here that make it possible to coordinate activities. A lot would be gained if a discussion about the robustness and potential of our public open spaces were initiated at the same time.

Traditional club sports and the healthcare sector are also in demand when it comes to synergies. The big challenge is to come up with joint strategies for holistically conceived urban exercise spaces. The relevance of the topic has been recognized in many specialist areas. Now is a good time to give the go-ahead for a joint strategy.

The article was published in Ga+La 11/2019. Click here to go to the store.