Physical activity plays a crucial role in improving our physical and mental well-being. Yet despite these benefits, global physical inactivity is on the rise. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 31% of adults, 1.8 billion people, did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022, but even more concerning is that 81% of adolescents are physically inactive, with girls disproportionately affected; 85% of girls worldwide failed to meet the recommended levels, compared to 78% of boys.
WHO’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030 (GAPPA) emphasises the importance of creating Active Environments: spaces and places that are safe, accessible, inclusive to increase physical activity levels for all. However, teenage girls face multiple barriers that prevent them from being physically active in public spaces. These include safety concerns like street harassment and poor lighting, and limited representation in urban design processes, which fails to meet girls needs or interests, reducing their use and opportunities to stay physically active.
In Antwerp, Belgium, our BraveMove project is working to change that. BraveMove aims to integrate the perspective, experiences and needs of girls into the design of public spaces to create welcoming spaces that increase their physical activity levels. This will not only shape public spaces with girls in mind, but also empower them by giving them a voice, building confidence, and reinforcing their right to the city.
Reclaiming Space Through Co-Creation
BraveMove is a collaboration between local organizations and institutions including vzw BRAVE, Sporting A (the city’s sport agency), Kras, YUE, Vital Cities Howest, and the University of Antwerp.
The initiative focuses on a pilot site in the Stuivenberg neighborhood, where the project is engaging teenage girls to co-create and transform the area into a welcoming and safe space for them to meet, play sports, and stay active. In May 2025, the project successfully launched its first open call for teenage girls to join the project with an impressive turnout of 80 girls, underscoring their interest and commitment to the process. Through workshops, design challenges, and community events, they will evolve from participants to urban-shapers.
Tackling Barriers to Physical Activity
In Antwerp, like in many cities, teenage girls avoid public spaces due to an interplay of sociocultural, built environment and policy-related factors that discourage them from being physically active. However, teenage girls in Antwerpen-Noord face multiple, intersecting barriers due to their age, gender, and often, their socioeconomic status and ethnic background. Initial discussions with key stakeholders and public officials revealed the most pressing challenges girls face daily:
- Sexual harassment in public spaces and gender stereotypes
- Political choices including budget cuts to youth services
- Lack of designated safe spaces for girls to engage in sports
- Limited involvement of girls in urban planning and policy decisions
BraveMove aims to directly respond to these challenges by placing girls’ voices at the center of urban design.
From Design to Action
The project has three phases:
- Recruitment and Awareness (May-June 2025): Teenage girls, aged 11 to 19, are invited to join the project through events that combine sport, culture, and information-sharing. These activities not only build trust but also ensure broad participation and inclusion.
- Design Sprint in Amsterdam (August 2025): 12 girls will take part in a four-day trip to Amsterdam, recognized globally for its innovative urban design, where they co-create and pitch ideas to activate the Stuivenberg site. The winning concept will be implemented in the final phase.
- Implementation and Activation (October 2025 – August 2026): With seed funding and ongoing mentorship, the core team will bring their vision to life over the course of a year, culminating in a final community event in August 2026. The goal is not just to improve a public space, but to nurture leadership, creativity, and community ownership.
Building Active, Inclusive Systems
Aligned with GAPPA, BraveMove focuses on creating active environments but also reflects a systemic approach through the creation of:
- Active People by involving girls directly in sports and physical activities throughout the project.
- Active Societies by shifting social norms and encouraging female leadership in urban development.
- Active Systems through partnerships with schools, youth organizations, and city departments.
As one of the 13 actions studied within the CityMove project, BraveMove offers concrete evidence on how inclusive urban design can effectively increase physical activity among one of the least active population groups globally. This action demonstrates how co-creative models can be scaled to support the development of healthier urban environments. In doing so, it directly contributes to CityMove’s mission to reduce the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) by promoting active, inclusive, and health-supportive communities.
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