This study investigated how two public spaces for sport and recreation were utilized by different user groups, and how this aligned with the initial design objectives for these spaces. Two newly built urban spaces situated in Copenhagen, Denmark, provided the context for this investigation. The System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) was used to examine the physical activity of users in these two urban spaces. The architects responsible for designing each space were interviewed to ascertain the intended target group of each space and to unravel the reasons behind the design decisions. The SOPARC observations revealed that males were more vigorously active than females when using the recreation facilities, and the observed users did not align with the intended target groups. The interviews suggested that design decisions were based on minimal interdisciplinary knowledge, and that expert knowledge was chosen randomly. These findings point to a systematic lack of evidence-based practice when designing sport and recreational facilities. This article has implications for landscape architects and urban planners; a new method must be developed to embed interdisciplinary knowledge in the planning process of future sport and recreation projects. This must be done in a systematic way to make the design process transparent.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a design strategy that investigates the systematic use of interdisciplinary knowledge through a transparent decision-making process. The study identifies relevant design parameters that should be considered in the development of this design strategy. Design/methodology/approach The empirical data were collected through observations of the design process of two new sport facilities, meetings with sport, well-being and aging experts and through semi-structured interviews with end-users. The development of the proposed design strategy is based on a methodology with elements from “Knowledge to Action (KTA),” “Action research” and a “List of value concepts.” The rigid timetable guaranteed systematic progress, where both knowledge from the end-users and experts were incorporated throughout the decision-making process. Findings The two case studies documented results involving end-users and experts in a systematic way. In conclusion, it was apparent that the use of interdisciplinary collaboration informed the design outcome. Practical implications Based on the two cases, the following advice can be given to the architectural profession: architects should use the KTA model or similar in order to target the search for relevant interdisciplinary knowledge and ensure that relevant evidence is involved in the design process of upcoming projects regarding sport and recreation. Architects should make the design process transparent so that one can see which design decisions have been made through the design process. This must be done to ensure that there is greater coherence between vision and practice. Originality/value The study showed how architects could import knowledge, skills and values from other disciplines such as environmental psychology and active living research to improve the decision-making process of future sport and recreation projects. It was also clear that this design decision process could be made more transparent in the effort to allow the various stakeholders to take ownership of the resulting design outcomes.

(1) Background: Research has shown that patients with mental health diagnoses experience less anxiety and depressive symptoms and higher levels of ‘well-being’ when they spend time in natural environments as part of their treatment. It has been suggested that there is a relationship between the outdoor settings and the recovery of psychiatric patients. Recovery describes an individual process, which can vary from person to person. (2) Methods: This scoping review examined the relationship between the physical environment and the recovery of psychiatric patients. Systematic searches in three online databases, namely Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO, were performed using a selection of psychiatric, environmental, and recovery terms and included both quantitative and qualitative studies. In general, ‘well-being’ serves as an overarching indicator when it comes to research on how outdoor settings can affect mental health. Well-being was expressed in terms of mood, social relations, and autonomy. (3) Results: A total of 8138 records were screened, 85 studies were included for full-text reading, and five articles were included in the final analysis. The review showed in general that outdoor settings, more specifically gardening, contact with nature, and a safe environment can be related to the well-being of patients on psychiatric wards. (4) Conclusions: The five reviews allow us to conclude that outdoor settings can be seen as a comprehensive resource for mental health.

Planlægning af motion- og idrætsanlæg med brug af evidens (Planning of sport and recreational schemes with implementation of evidence)The general health of the Danish population has over the last decades been an important topic in Denmark, and the subject is not getting less important, as the development of lifestyle diseases continues to increase. This increasing public emphasis on general health is reflected also in contemporary architecture, where new projects and construction plans within cultural and sport schemes often have great visions to improve the general health conditions in the population today. Traditional methods are often used in the process of development, and therefore the question is if the visions can be accomplished in new schemes? Evidence is described as the missing tool before architecture can evolve in response to the present conditions. There are many ways to assemble evidence. Some examples include evaluation of projects, data collection or research in other disciplines, such as sociology, health sciences and natural sciences. Scientists have put focus to the lack of connection between the operating architects and the academic environment at the university, and the book Design Informed points out that there is no use of evidence in the process of planning today. Therefore the newest research does not reach the operating architects and new projects are designed using traditional methods. The purpose of this article is to discuss different methods to secure that the newest evidence; research and knowledge from other sciences are transferred and used in the planning of new projects involving sport and recreation.