Participating in sports activities plays a crucial role in improving the health of urban residents. Public sports venues (PSVs) are the main venues where urban residents can participate in sports activities, and their number and distribution significantly affect residents’ participation in sports activities. This paper focuses on the research area of Shanghai, the most economically developed city in China, to investigate and analyze residential areas and PSVs in Shanghai. The geographic information systems (GIS) visualization technique, as well as analytical indicators like mean center, standard deviational ellipse and kernel density, are used to examine the distribution of PSVs in residential areas of Shanghai. The results show that: 1. The density of PSV distribution is larger in the seven major central districts and smaller in suburban districts; changes in distribution density present a “cliff fall” along an extension towards the suburban districts; PSV is also unevenly distributed across different suburban districts, with remote areas having a significantly smaller distribution density; there is an uneven spatial distribution of PSVs in Shanghai. 2. The 15-minute walking accessibility is basically achievable in the seven central districts of Shanghai, as opposed to poorer performance in the indicator in suburban districts. The following suggestions are made: 1. Construction of public sports amenities in central districts should shift towards inventory optimization and in the meantime, the construction of public transport networks between central districts and suburban districts should be enhanced. 2. Urban renewal should be promoted. Construction can be focused on urban fringe areas with sophisticated transport and central suburban districts. 3. Schools should be encouraged to open their sports stadiums to the public, thus filling up the void of PSVs in Shanghai.