ROTTERDAM, 14 November 2024 – The Municipality of Rotterdam has unveiled its Urban Sports Agenda (2024-2027), outlining 32 initiatives aimed at strengthening urban sports across the city. The agenda is a collaborative effort involving urban sports providers and participants, focusing on inclusivity and accessibility.
Photo credit: Raemy Abdelsalam
What are urban sports?
Urban sports encompass creative and accessible athletic activities typically practised in city environments, such as skateboarding, 3x3 basketball, and breakdancing. These sports have gained significant popularity in Rotterdam, with 25% of the city’s youth actively participating in some form of urban sports.
Urban Sports Agenda 2024-2027
The new agenda seeks to enhance opportunities for urban sports in Rotterdam, recognising their role in promoting physical activity and fostering community engagement. The diversity and informal nature of these sports make them appealing and accessible to a wide audience.
Rotterdam's alderman for Welfare, Community, Sport, and Digital Inclusion, Faouzi Achbar, stated: “In the coming years, we will focus on improving the accessibility of urban sports to ensure everyone can participate. This includes developing targeted programmes for young women and individuals with disabilities, such as specialised sports classes or creating urban sports parks designed to accommodate diverse needs.”
Key initiatives and planned actions
The agenda outlines over 30 planned actions to be implemented between 2024 and 2027. These include hosting events like the annual Wednesday Night Skate, enhancing the Urban Sports Subsidy Scheme, and designing innovative public sports spaces. Collaboration with urban sports providers and the broader community will remain integral to the success of these initiatives.
Community collaboration
The Urban Sports Agenda was developed through a collaborative process involving input from urban sports participants, providers, and residents. This engagement included creative workshops, surveys, interviews, and outreach via social media platforms.
ROFFA, a collective representing Rotterdam’s urban sports scene, expressed optimism about the partnership. “We’ve experienced meaningful collaboration with the Municipality of Rotterdam in shaping this agenda. As an urban sports collective, we feel acknowledged and hope to continue building the city together,” a ROFFA representative remarked.
