Networks and cities' news

Catch up on the latest updates from cities working together in URBACT Networks. The articles and news that are showcased below are published directly by URBACT’s beneficiaries and do not necessarily reflect the programme’s position.

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    Teenagers and the City: How Youth Shape Public Spaces through Creativity, Sports, and Social Connection

    Public spaces hold a unique value for teenagers, offering a stage for recreation, cultural expression, and social interaction. Across various studies, these spaces have been shown to play a significant role in the mental, social, and physical development of adolescents. Teenagers often engage with public areas like parks, squares, and even neglected or abandoned spaces in ways that differ from adults, repurposing them as places to express their identity, engage in physical activities, and cultivate peer relationships. This article explores how teenagers use these spaces, how they shape urban aesthetics, and why policymakers need to adopt a more passive approach to observing their behaviors.

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  • Street Sport and Tourism: A Path to Urban Regeneration and Youth-Centered Travel

    Street sports such as skateboarding, 3x3 basketball, breakdancing, and rollerblading are increasingly becoming a driving force for urban regeneration. These activities are transforming underutilized urban spaces into vibrant social and cultural hubs, fostering local community engagement and attracting a new kind of tourism. This fusion of street sport and tourism is creating unexpected tourist flows to lesser-known cities and "unusual places," places that would not typically be considered tourist hotspots.

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  • Ph. Luis Villasmil

    Sport Urbanism: A New Paradigm for Urban Regeneration and Sustainable, Beautiful Cities for All

    Sport urbanism is emerging as a powerful concept in the transformation of our cities. This approach advocates for integrating sports into urban design as a green, inclusive solution that enhances the beauty and functionality of public spaces. Sport-based solutions doesn't just make cities more attractive; they also turn public areas into vibrant hubs that promote well-being, public health, and environmental sustainability. By placing sports at the heart of urban regeneration, we can create spaces that are aesthetically pleasing and serve as collective spaces for communities, fostering social connections and improving the quality of life for all residents.

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    Can Urban Sports Hubs Transform Youths Communities and Regenerate Urban Public Spaces?

    Contemporary cities face challenges in providing adequate spaces for youth socialization and recreational healthy activities. The Re-Gen Project tackles these issues by leveraging abandoned public spaces for planning and testing innovative models for urban regeneration. Engaging youngsters, schools, cultural and sport associations in co-creating new Urban Sport Hubs redefines urban participative process, fosters sense of a shared responsibility for common goods and promotes multifunctional spaces. These hubs, centered on street sports, symbolize a progressive shift in policy towards inclusive community development and vibrant urban spaces reconnecting also aesthetics with ethics.

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