Park(ing) Day for Fitness project: partners' plans for the national coordination of the events

BG Be Active continues to work on the Park(ing) Day for Fitness project, which aims to draw attention to the many (untapped) possibilities for physical activity in our cities, the need for more open spaces where people can exercise safely, and further, to spark a public discussion about how to adapt in times of crisis and improve the quality of urban environments. By this point, the project’s partner organizations had shared their plans for national coordination of activities in their countries.

France

The main goal of the Park(ing) Day for Fitness project is to show the positive impact of an environment that promotes and facilitates free physical activity. Parking areas are simply synonymous with unattractive spaces, and Azur Sport Sante Association wants to show how, with some creative ideas, the environment can be improved and made conducive to physical activity. These changes can have a positive influence on public health. The activities will address all categories of the population (school children, families, adults, and elderly), but the organization would like to offer some new alternatives to those who do not find what they are looking for in standard offerings and thus reach the fixed goal of 8,000 people within two days and with the help of partners.

Azur Sport Sante will organize both, Multisport and Gamified Flagship Events. The main event will take place in the port of Nice and its main parking areas. This location was highly recommended by the Chamber of Commerce and industry as it has a large parking lot, so there will be enough space to conduct the activities, and it is close to a highly frequented pedestrian zone. Simultaneous events will be organized throughout the region and managed by their local partners. This formula has proven successful in the past. What is more, Azur Sport Sante has decided to organize some original workshops and propose alternative activities: their new giant board game will be available during the whole weekend. The organization is still looking for the possibility to paint it on the floor in collaboration with some street artists and associations. Other activities planned include break dance, skateboarding, street workout, street racket, parkour, Zumba, and Tai Chi.  

In terms of P-spot events, the organization hopes to replicate the formula used for the European Mile project: many simultaneous events hosted by all their partners throughout the region/country amount to one big event. This approach has been appreciated for its communication, visibility and sense of unity (many small groups feel the togetherness, as they know they are part of a large-scale event that takes place on the same day with other people participating in their own hometowns). They will work with the usual partners (grassroots sports organizations, sports clubs, municipalities) to coordinate the events around the region.

Austria

The goal of the Park(ing) Day for Fitness in the Austrian context is to highlight the numerous sports activities and opportunities available in the city while promoting the need for more open spaces where people can exercise safely. The target group will mostly be residents of the 9th district of Vienna, passers-by and others in the vicinity.

As part of the project, XsentrikArts will be organizing a Multisport Flagship Event at a single location. According to the organization, they are still negotiating with local municipalities about the exact event location; however, Bernard Gasse is a street adjacent to the main highway, which the local municipality plans to turn into a pedestrian zone. The organization would like this event to serve as an impetus for the local municipality to implement sports concepts in the urban environment as part of their upcoming plans. Furthermore, the event will feature a series of stations along the street, each offering a different activity such as yoga, light boxing, and table tennis. Selected organizations will be collaborating with XsentrikArts to ensure the promotion of sports in the urban environment and a series of unique training aimed at local citizens. The target group are local residents of all ages, as the goal will be to encourage movement and activity, regardless of physical endurance level.

As for P-Spots, the aim will be to organize them throughout the city, in numerous areas of Vienna, especially in the interior, where there is more mobility and pedestrian traffic. Organisations will be involved from the start and XsentrikArts will support them in planning the P-spot event. They will be working with a few umbrella organizations that provide accessible and socially inclusive sporting alternatives for city residents, thus offering participating organisations the opportunity to exchange ideas and get to know each other through higher-level visibility of the project, such as a joint webinar.

Romania

The general purpose of the Park(ing) Day for Fitness project in Romania is to create a positive and proactive attitude toward public interaction with parking zones and their unique use. Actions developed to achieve this goal must include creativity, diversity, simplicity and dynamics. The means used will be simple, engaging physical exercises, adapted to the participants' motor abilities and age in order to increase muscle tone and well-being. The target group of the event will consist of adults, children, and refugees (if they are allowed to participate in children's activities as minors).

Asociatia Judeteana Sportul pentru Toti Suceava will host the Multisport Flagship Event, which will be held in Suceava at the fortress and in the parking lot of this historical monument, but also in the central area of Falticeni City Hall. Activities will include athletic sports, fitness, dynamic children's games, pavement painting, and dancing. The estimated number of participants in the Flagship event is 600 people.

As for the P-spot events, the venues will be determined immediately after the online webinar meeting. In principle, there will be events in the cities of Suceava, Falticeni, Gura Humorului, Radauti, and Dumbraveni but also in places established later by mutual agreement with partners.

Poland

One of the main goals of the Park(ing) Day for Fitness project in Poland is to encourage the inhabitants of Wroclaw to self-reflect on the topic of public spaces usage, specifically on the overwhelming amount of space that is currently devoted to cars, including streets, parking lots, etc. V4SPORT Foundation would like to emphasize two very different approaches to urban design – ‘car centric’ vs. ‘human-centric’. The other aim includes promoting and educating the advantages of active travel – walking, cycling and others amongst various target groups. Presenting the social-economic benefits of active travel and its impact on the city’s life. Furthermore, to provoke discussion on the issue of parking in the city. The target group is families with kids. The estimated number of participants will be determined based on the specific design of the project together with the partners.

Talking about the Flagship event, at this stage V4SPORT is considering a blended approach, which would include both: Multisport and Gamified elements. The final decision on the specific scenario will be taken at the end of July/beginning of August – until then the organization will work on both of these options. The Multisport Flagship event will most likely take place at Wzgórze Słowiańskie in Wroclaw. It is an artificial hill located in the Nadodrze estate at Slowianski square. It covers an area of about 3ha and is surrounded by a small park. There are also a number of parking spots next to it. In addition, it is possible to partner up on the Gamified Flagship event with the EMW coordinating body to deliver a ‘city game’ that would connect different ways of transportation – active travel & public transport. All other details are yet to be discussed.    

The plan for the P-spot events is that the 15 P-spots will be organized in the City of Wroclaw. Due to legal aspects of this initiative, the responsibility for the overall coordination and delivery lies with the V4SPORT Foundation. They will involve partner organizations through their own existing network and possibly the network of partners described in the National plan.  

 

Park(ing) day for Fitness is funded by the European Union and led by BG Be Active Association. The other partner organizations are Placemaking Europe, Association Sport for all Suceava (AJSPT Suceava), V4 SPORT FOUNDATION, Azur Sport Sante, and XsentrikArts. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.