Case study 1. Uppsala Summer Zone: An oasis for activities
In Uppsala, the municipality decided to transform an unused paved area of 6,360 square metres into the ‘Uppsala Summer Zone’ during the summer months. Using modular sports tiles, this colourful and versatile sports and activity area offers facilities for floorball, basketball, football, handball, volleyball, badminton, mini tennis, a pumptrack, as well as several playing surfaces for chess and other games, among others.
Several sports clubs gave try-outs to actively enthuse children to become members. Wheelchair basketball is available for disabled people. Many children do not have the opportunity to be active in their leisure time, such as joining a sports club. There are also many children in Sweden who do not get the chance to go on holidays. ‘Uppsala Summer Zone’ has made it possible for them to have valuable leisure time, make friends, show solidarity and try out different sports, regardless of their level and background.
Our partner Bergo Flooring and Unisport realised this project, which attracted as many as 15,335 visitors during the summer. It also created 47 jobs for young people; to supervise the various sports and games.
The ‘Uppsala Summer Zone’ provides a valuable leisure activity, especially for children who otherwise have few opportunities to be active or go on holiday. Children were asked what they thought of the project: ‘Here you make friends’, ‘Everyone is left in their own right here’. Every year, the municipality evaluates with young people which sports are preferred, and the modular sports tiles make it easy to respond to this the following year. This keeps the offer flexible and attractive.
Case study 2. Lidköping Arena: An activity area for everyone
Lidköping has launched an ambitious project at the Sparbanken Lidköping Arena, where a giant 105 x 60-metre activity area is being installed on the outdoor bandy rink (ball sport played on ice and is the precursor to ice hockey and hockey). This ‘Summer Zone’ also offers a wide range of activities.
The aim here is to move more residents to participate in physical activities by creating an attractive sports area for handball, football, floorball, basketball, inline skating, pumptrack, volleyball, badminton, table tennis and mini tennis, as well as dance, a balance beam, chess, hopscotch and soft-ball bocce.
This space is open not only to residents of the city for free, but also to schools, though they are asked to book in advance. A sports service will lend out the materials so that everyone can participate actively and fully equipped in the activities. A SportBox is also among the possibilities to facilitate materials in the future.
This space promotes not only physical health but also social cohesion, especially for children and young people. Experiencing participation and being able to excel at something contributes to a greater sense of security and self-esteem.
Inspiration for the Netherlands
These Swedish case studies offer valuable insights for Dutch municipalities and sports services/sports offices. Creating accessible, inclusive and versatile sports and activity spaces can contribute to community health and well-being. Moreover, such spaces foster social interaction, creativity and promote talent discovery and development.
Does your municipality have unused spaces that could be given a new use? Would you like to get more residents moving as well as contribute to an active and inclusive community? Then get in touch with us. Together, we can make such inspiring projects possible in the Netherlands too!
