Sport and Leisure in Smart Bodø for inhabitant’s well-being

Bodø is a municipality located in the northern part of Norway with 51,000 inhabitants. The city is going through a major transformation as the national air force base in Bodø is being relocated by the Norway national government. The Smart Bodø program is being introduced to transform the city. Tjønndal and Nilssen (2019) explores the city’s effort in redeveloping the city through the study of the city’s initiative to enhance the sport and leisure experience that was envisioned to improve the inhabitants’ quality of life. 

The study looked at several initiatives that relate to sport and leisure and shows how these aspects are integrated in urban planning and how it links to the improvement of citizens’ health and well-being. Several programs were launched to promote the citizens’ participation in a more active lifestyle despite their age, ability, and socioeconomic condition. One unconventional example is Digital Kveld, a program run by the local libraries to open PC and PlayStation games sessions so that children aged 9-14 can have a meeting place and play without having to buy the expensive gaming consoles. Participating in e-sports has some positive benefits in social and mental health of the youth and increases the feeling of belonging and acceptance amongst like-minded peers. 

Beside the social innovation of promoting e-sport, there are many examples of development of physical infrastructure that promotes physical activities for the inhabitants, such as

• Integrating BUA, a free sporting gear rental for the locals, as part of the public expenditure to thus encourage people that have limited ability to get their own sporting gear to enjoy various kinds of sports and other recreation activities.
• STImuli, a project of upgrading trails and establishing new ones so that anyone is within 500 metres from a trail that can be used for walking, hiking, and cycling. 
• Freeing urban space, such as parking lots, as the airport relocates to the development of skateboarding facility. This project also supports youth clubs in terms of funding to develop the skateboard parks in the city

Reference:

Tjønndal, A., & Nilssen, M. (2019). Innovative sport and leisure approaches to quality of life in the smart city. World Leisure Journal, 61(3), 228-240.

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