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Sportsgrounds of the Future: How Cities Are Rethinking Public Space for Adolescents' Wellbeing

Urban spaces often reveal the character of a city. They are places of movement, stillness, interaction, and solitude. For adolescents, however, public spaces are much more than physical environments—they are stages for self-expression, arenas for competition, and places for belonging. Yet, in many cities, these vital spaces remain underused or inaccessible to youth, either by design or neglect.

Adolescence is a transformative stage of life, marked by the search for identity, independence, and social belonging. Cities play a critical role in shaping these experiences; however, too often, urban environments fail to cater to the specific needs of young people. Thoughtfully designed public spaces can become vital arenas where adolescents gather, express themselves, and connect with their communities. However, these spaces must be more than functional; they must resonate with the energy and aspirations of youth.

The Re-Gen network of cities—spanning from Southern Europe to the Baltic—has embraced this challenge. Each city has embarked on a distinctive journey to test how sports and recreational activities can rejuvenate public spaces and empower adolescents. These cities are experimenting with bold solutions to make public spaces more inviting for their youngest residents, involving them in the process. The key? Sports and recreation, woven seamlessly into the urban fabric.

Testing of public grounds in Lehza

The Municipality of Lezha - within the framework of the Re - Gen project and the National Youth Day - started the first testing of sports activities on public spaces that can be turned into outdoor and indoor sports fields.

During this day, children and youth from different schools in Lezha were engaged in various sports games such as ping-pong, volleyball, basketball, sports dance and chess.

At this stage of the project, the Municipality of Lezha aims to empower youth through sports activities, improving infrastructure and sports clubs, and encouraging active participation of youth in decision-making processes.

One of the goals of the project is to create opportunities for talent development and encourage youth engagement in positive activities, strengthening ties between the community and the local institution.
 

Municipality of Lezha, Albania.

Portrait Series #7 : Amidst War and Displacement: Mykola's Story and the Vision for Mariupol's Future

Mykola, who lived in Mariupol (Ukraine) his entire life, was the Head of the Investment and Project Management Department for the municipality. His life changed dramatically on 24 February 2022, when Russia invaded the country. Mariupol was a key target due to its strategic location, controlling 80% of Ukraine's coastline on the Sea of Azov and linking occupied territories in Donbas and Crimea.

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10 Key Lessons from the GenProcure Network so far

The GenProcure Action Planning Network (APN) is one of 30 such APN’s resourced through the URBACT Programme. Commencing in June 2023, and composing of 9 Partners, GenProcure is focused upon the topic of Gender Responsive Public Procurement. GenProcure is particularly seeking to ensure that as part of the design, tendering, decision-making and delivery of Procurement exercises, that our Partners consider the implications for Gender Equality and how Procurement can be utilised to address wider inequality.

At the mid-point of the Network in December 2024, we have met collaboratively 8 times to discuss themes associated with Gender Responsive Public Procurement; our Partners have tested ideas such as Spend Analysis and inserting Gender Criteria in specific Procurement’s; and our Partners have started to draft Integrated Action Plans that will shape their practice around Gender Responsive Public Procurement into the future.

Collectively, we have learnt a lot so far, and in this article, we outline 10 key lessons so far!

Cities After Dark - #3 Quarterly Journal