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Olympic focus on Global Active Cities

The Olympic Review, the magazine of the Olympic Movement, reflects on the achievements of the world’s first Global Active Cities in its current edition. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach congratulates Buenos Aires, Hamburg, Lillehammer, Liverpool, Ljubljana and Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, for their pioneering approaches to managing physical activity and sport. The article takes a look at what each city has done to improve opportunities for residents to make life-changing choices to get active – and the benefits for…

World’s first Global Active Cities certified at Olympic celebration

The world’s first Global Active Cities were honoured at an awards ceremony as part of the opening celebrations for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires, Argentina; Hamburg, Germany; Lillehammer, Norway; Liverpool, UK; Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Richmond, British Columbia, Canada were officially certified at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) celebration. The ceremony took place during the Olympism In Action Forum, which continues today. Thomas Bach, President of the IOC, said: “We have had confidence in the Global Active…

Cities offered a guide to mapping physical activity levels – infographic

Leading sport and exercise scientists have created a starting guide for cities and regions that want to map physical activity levels among their populations. Academics from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) produced the infographic (below) to help public services save time and money by planning effective research before embarking on expensive projects to promote physical activity and healthy behaviours. The team from the university’s Physical Activity Exchange (PAEx) said local authorities which invest in evaluation waste fewer resources and achieve…

Trial scheme could revolutionise way doctors prescribe physical activity

Researchers are trialling a new exercise referral scheme that could revolutionise the way doctors prescribe physical activity. The study, led by the UK’s Liverpool John Moores University, invites patients to reflect on the reasons behind their inactive lifestyles and come up with their own solutions, supported by regular meetings with a trained exercise instructor. ‘Prescriptions for exercise’ have been given for decades in many countries, with varying results. Frequently doctors have found that simply advising non-active patients to exercise is…

Good practices from active cities – infographic

We put together an infographic with a list of tried-and-tested approaches that our partner cities have used to encourage and empower residents to become more active in their daily lives. Their ideas have helped to shape our Global Active City model, which can be applied to cities and towns of all sizes and particular local needs. Their proposals include measuring and analysing physical activity levels; encouraging organisations from different sectors to work together; and making public spaces, physical activity centres…

Using an Olympic bid to create an active city

Leaving a lasting legacy is a top priority for any city seeking to host the Olympic Games. Hamburg’s bid for the 2024 tournament was stopped in its tracks by a referendum which revealed 48.4 per cent of local voters were in favour of the project. To ensure that the money and planning spent on the application remained a good investment, the city focused its efforts on transforming its Olympic proposals into hundreds of long term benefits for residents. In…

Hamburg one of world’s first cities to prioritise physical activity in urban planning

Walking and cycling will be prioritised in an urban development for up to 20,000 people, with homes allocated just half a parking space each. Authorities in our partner city Hamburg have given the go-ahead to the radical plans for Oberbillwerder, which will be one of the first places worldwide to make physical activity the primary concern in its urban planning. The 7,000 homes planned for the district will have to share parking facilities – the half a space per property needs to accommodate…

Richmond’s Olympic legacy for everyone

Residents and visitors in Richmond, Canada, continue to benefit from the city’s decision to host part of the Winter Olympics 2010. Sports managers told us how they ensure facilities and programmes reach the whole community. How does a city with a population estimated at 223,000 manage to stage international and national sporting competitions every year, plus more than 100 community events? In recent years Richmond, in British Columbia, has hosted a long list of high profile contests such as…

WHO recommends the Global Active City approach

The World Health Organization stressed the vital role for cities in GAPPA – its new worldwide strategy to promote physical activity. The Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-30 recommended active city networks such as the Global Active City programme as part of its mission to “create active people”. Action 3.6 called for member states to implement “whole-of-community initiatives, at the city, town or community levels, … to promote increased participation in physical activity and reduced sedentary behavior by people…

How can active cities empower active residents?

We created this infographic after asking cities, urban planners, and health and sports managers for some tips.