What Factors Influence the Shaping of Urban Public Spaces for Sports Cities? A Systematic Review

Abstract

In recent years, the concept of developing sports cities has gained popularity and become a notable trend. Urban public spaces have played an important role as suitable venues for informal sporting activities in cities. Policymakers and scholars have come to realize that an aesthetically pleasing and well-designed public space can encourage and increase participation in sports. This systematic review aims to identify the factors that influence the shaping of public spaces for sports cities accessible to all. Ten electronic databases were searched to identify relevant studies published between 2010 and 2022. The data were independently assessed and extracted by two reviewers. Full-text copies of 68 articles were read, and 24 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this review. A synthesized descriptive analysis of the data was then performed. The results of this review identified factors that influence the shaping of urban public spaces for sports cities, including spatial sports facilities, organizational and programmatic factors, and environmental factors. Some factors can facilitate sports and physical activity, while others may act as barriers and have a negative impact on participants. This study recommends summarizing the policy and practice implications of these results for promoting sports cities to address these barriers and make sporting activities more accessible to all.