Promoting Active Lifestyles

CityMove: A Global Initiative to Promote Physical Activity in Urban Environments

Urban living presents a shared challenge for people worldwide: how to stay sufficiently physically active to benefit their physical and mental health. The rise of sedentary lifestyles, coupled with unhealthy diets and poor air quality, has fuelled an epidemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory conditions, diabetes, and cancer. NCDs are now the leading cause of death globally. However, by addressing environmental factors and lifestyle choices, cities can encourage more active and healthy living, significantly reducing the prevalence of these diseases.

CityMove, a project funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Programme and launched in January 2024, aims to understand how healthier urban environments can reduce the prevalence of NCDs through the promotion of physical activity. , The project will evaluate  13 physical activity actions in six cities across Europe, Africa, and Latin America with the support of nine organisations and 50 international researchers.

CityMove will follow the World Health Organisation’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA) as a guide, and will develop an evaluation framework to assess what drives and supports increased physical activity and how these elements can be scaled up and transferred to other cities. The project also aims to expand its reach by incorporating additional cities and sharing cross-contextual lessons learned to tailor actions to local needs, creating scalable models that can be adopted worldwide.

CityMove is coordinated by the University of Antwerp (Belgium) and implemented in collaboration with Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands), Community Health Centre Ljubljana (Slovenia), University of Essex (UK), Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (Peru), Fundación Universitaria Juan N. Corpas (Colombia), Makerere University (Uganda), Walk21 Europe, and the City of Antwerp (Belgium).

City Move Physical Activity Actions

Latin America

Lima, Perú

• Pan American Games Legacy: The program encourages the use of sports facilities built for the Pan American Games by children and schools from surrounding areas.
• Independencia Greenbelt:  The Greenbelt covers almost 400 ha of public land on the fringes of Independencia district with forest parks, a coastal desert and Lomas ecosystem zone. It was designed to prevent urban expansion towards sensitive ecosystems, contributing to disaster risk management and climate adaptation, while contributing to well-being and health in the district.

Bogotá, Colombia

• Happiness Centres:  Seven happiness centres (Centros Felicidad), with an area of 12,000 m² each,  have been opened to support exercise, recreation, leisure and culture for the surrounding community. 
• Ciclovía: This 50-year-old mass participation event involves the opening of 120 km of roads on Sundays to be walked and cycled without motorised traffic. Between  0.6-1.4 million people participate every week —with 30% from low-income neighbourhoods.

Africa

Kampala, Uganda

• Kampala Car-Free Day:  The Car-Free day started in 2011 –the first in Africa– and was relaunched in the central business district in 2023 to encourage physical activity, reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. 
• Non-Motorised Transport Pilot Corridor (Namirembe-Luwum Street): Eight roads were improved for walking and cyclingfollowing the publication of the first non-motorised transport strategy in Africa in 2012.

Europe

Antwerp, Belgium

• Brave-Move: This project aims to reduce street intimidation and underrepresentation of girls in urban sports. This initiative will involve teenage girls aged 11-19 in the Borgerhout and Antwerpen-Noord neighbourhoods.
• Health Kiosk: A health literacy hub in a lower income neighbourhood in Borgerhout, providing information and signposting to health services. It also acts as a community hub, hosting events and workshops.
• Exercise on Prescription: This program helps individuals with health risks transition to an active lifestyle through personalised exercise plans and professional guidance from trained coaches. Healthcare providers refer patients to the program, where they receive a tailored plan and ongoing support.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

• Walking Gaming App: A movement and gaming app is encouraging exercise in people that do not respond or engage in mass events (due to physical or mental limitations) and are harder to motivate.
• Walk Along the Wire: This mass participation event, held each year in May since 1946, includes special trails for children and older people. The event is open to everyone, promoting historical memory, active and healthy lifestyles, socialising, and environmental care.

Rotterdam, Netherlands

• Green Connection: A green walking route connects green spaces in the south of Rotterdam and is being  promoted to local residents, including newer international communities, as a place for social community building, gardening and physical activity (walking/cycling). 
• Green Walking Routes: Walking paths are being developed and promoted as part of the green prescription program by General Practitioners and have the support of social support organisations.

Project Progress Updates

CityMove continues to make strides to promote physical activity in urban areas. Below are some recent updates from the project:

1. Kampala Car-Free Day

Kampala recently relaunched its Car-Free Day in the central business district. With streets free of motorised traffic, pedestrians and cyclists were able to reclaim urban spaces and engage in physical activity in a safe, pollution-free environment. CityMove supported the event, which first started in 2011 and was relaunched in 2023, has proven to be a vital part of encouraging healthier lifestyles in Kampala.

2. Stakeholder Workshop in Lima

CityMove hosted a workshop with local stakeholders, to explore the role of urban design and public spaces in promoting physical activity. Key actors from both the public and private sectors participated in the workshop focused on the Pan American Games Legacy and the Independencia Greenbelt actions. Participants discussed how to increase access to their sports facilities and green spaces and how to strengthen community engagement. The workshop results will guide the next stages of CityMove in Lima.

3. Stakeholder Workshop in Antwerp

Brave-Move held its first stakeholder meeting. This early-stage workshop brought together community leaders, policymakers, and social support organisations to discuss strategies for the creation of safer and more inclusive urban spaces for young girls. As in Lima, the results will guide the next steps for CityMove and Brave-Move.

These activities highlight CityMove’s commitment to fostering healthier urban environments and increasing physical activity across our target cities. Stay tuned for more updates on our progress!