Ola Mattsson

Sport participation is becoming increasingly diverse, yet many publicly funded sports facilities remain organized around traditional club structures. Drawing on research from Denmark and beyond, Peter Forsberg examines how municipalities and facility operators can strengthen the public value, relevance and legitimacy of sports facilities by reaching new user groups and responding to changing participation patterns. Who are sports facilities actually designed and operated for?

Creating a more active society does not necessarily require more sports buildings. It may instead require a different way of using, connecting and developing the environments already available. Kontukoski Architects presents Finnish perspectives on how sports facilities, schools, public spaces and the wider urban environment can work together to support everyday movement and reach a broader range of users.

The Finnish perspective is complemented by the Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities’ Sports Halls for Our Time initiative. Through nine development projects across Denmark, scheduled for completion in 2028-29, the initiative explores how sports halls can become more flexible, multipurpose and socially relevant, guided by a simple principle: the less we build, the better. Together, the contributions ask how the sports sector can enable more movement while making better use of existing buildings, land and other resources.