Abstract
Urban public space has become one of the main infrastructures for informal sports in cities. However, despite the high impact of that practice, local records only show the sports activity at the urban spaces specifically designed and regulated for that purpose. More information about where this practice arises and what attributes of urban space promote it would allow the adoption of specific measures in urban and sports policies. This paper proposes a methodology mainly based on the mapping of this informal sport activity and urban places where it appears by local communities and sportspeople. These collaborative maps are supported by the use of geographical information system (GIS) technologies and surveys on local communities. The research establishes a double objective of identifying urban spaces where citizens perform outdoor sports and deepen the knowledge of the physical attributes of public spaces that promote sports and local demands related to public space requirements. This methodology has been tested in the city of Malaga, the European City of Sport 2020, as a reference of a city with a growing outdoors’ sport activity. The main contribution is focused on the use of new tools that offer subjective information: opinions and habits of citizens in relation to sport urban practice. This information—which is difficult to obtain through other resources—should be considered for the design of urban and sports policies according to citizens’ demands.
Highlights
Urban public space has become, in recent years, one of the main infrastructures for informal sports and physical activity in cities
The research establishes a double objective of identifying urban spaces where citizens perform outdoor sports and deepen the knowledge of the physical attributes of public spaces that promote sports and local demands related to public space requirements
This has all led to a field of research of great scientific interest that delves into the relationship between public space, urban design, health and promoting physical activity [4]
Summary
Urban public space has become, in recent years, one of the main infrastructures for informal sports and physical activity in cities. This research is interested in the informal sports activity that arises spontaneously and unplanned in public spaces that, without being spaces designed for sports, have attributes and qualities that promote such practice. It is important to establish the reality of each city—its physical structure, its urban spaces, demands of local communities, etc.—in order to propose strategies and measures to foster an active life there. This has all led to a field of research of great scientific interest that delves into the relationship between public space, urban design, health and promoting physical activity [4]. There are very few studies focused on studying and measuring informal physical activity that allows that relationship to be expounded on [5], and where new technologies provide opportunities to discover the dimension of that informal practice in urban settings [4,6]
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