Running, climbing, vaulting, jumping, skating, skateboarding, or just walking: these are all activities that use only the body and the surrounding environment. Many of these today are Olympic disciplines, others are simple physical activities. Each of us can practice them anywhere in the city: in parks or under the house. This is street sport: when the city becomes a gym.
Aggregating, engaging, economical, street sport leads to the regeneration of city spaces and the creation of events. Can urban sport be a resource in times of austerity? The examples of England and Greece say yes. And in Italy it already is: let’s see why.
Street sport: a resource even in austerity
Let’s start with the numbers: only in Italy does the sports sector generate the 3.6% of GDP, as much as 95.6 billion euros. Every million euros of public investments moves over 20 billion euros (data from Banca Ifis 2022, Economy Sport). An entire sector at risk with the current crisis: the 120% increase in gas and electricity bills, the cut in loans and the increase in prices will hit above all the smaller and more peripheral sports centers. The forecasts give except for it street sportswhich becomes one resource even in austerity.
A positive example comes fromEngland where there is still theAusterity: government cuts have been in place since 2008, funding is scarce and targeted. Yet the UK sports market hit £ 10.6bn in 2022, up from £ 9.0bn in 2017. The trend of health and well-being, combined with the shift of consumer spending to recreational activities, ensured the market. The English local model attributes the contribution of urban sport to the local economy in terms of corporate production and jobsas well as wider benefits such as health.
Larissa, Greece
When the city becomes a gym (free)
In Greece, in Larissa, the capital of Thessaly, during the period of austerity street and competitive sports influenced the master plan. The center has a pedestrian area and a cycle path and is closed to cars. In a continuum, a large pedestrian area develops along the Lelio river that cuts through the city. Here in addition to gyms, swimming pools and stadiums, there are large areas dedicated to street sports and games for children. The whole city has become a free gym by changing the metabolism of its population.
Me too’Italia try to apply the same model. Although the Chambers are dissolved, the PNRR does not stop and continues regeneration of sports facilities, the conversion to soft mobility and the recovery of peripheral areas. The commitment is to make urban spaces accessible to all, also investing in street sports as a recreational activity.
Rethinking the city for sport opens up many opportunities. Among many, it made possible in 2022, the appointment of L’Aquila a European capital of sportfrom Treviso a European City of Sportfrom Piedmont a European region of sport 2023. This is how urban sport becomes a resource even in a period of austerity.
Larissa, Greece.
Walking to school, the first step in street sports
September is the month chosen by the European Union to promote physical activity for health. Together with the World Health Organization, you want spread the sport and offer people the resources and services they need, respecting the ecosystem in which they live.
The last week of the month, the European Week of Sport is celebrated. The theme chosen for 2022 is the power of sport as an inspirational resource for solutions, even in times of austerity. Street sport is an excellent example of this: it educates to reclaim urban spaces, it is sustainable because it uses the city as a gym, encourages the community to be active and remember that having fun is everyone’s right. Plus it’s easy to practice: like walking to school. This is the first step of street sport as Pedibus teaches, an association that deals with environmental planning and sustainable mobility.
Through dedicated routes, during the school period, entire classes of children, from elementary to middle school, reach the school on foot escorted by parents or dedicated staff. Being active does not only mean doing sport, competitive or urban, but changing your lifestyle in everyday life.