Sport gets Rotterdam moving Sports Memorandum 2017+ Summary 1
Table of contents Foreword 3 Rotterdam in 2030? 7 Sports Memorandum 2017-2020 11 2
Foreword Lots of people enjoy sports and exercise. It is good for you and helps you develop a social network. Sports offer an important economic incentive and makes Rotterdam more fun, vital and dynamic. Investing in sports has a positive effect on many areas. This is why Rotterdam is committed to sports and exercise. How do we achieve this? We explain our approach in this summary of the Sports Vision up to 2030 and the Sports Policy for 2017-2020. More and more Rotterdam residents are participating in exercise and sports in their own way, at a time and place which suits them. New sports are emerging in which anyone can participate cheaply, such as freerunning and boot-camps. Especially when there are outdoor facilities for these new initiatives, such as in parks. Rotterdam residents are inspired to participate in sports and to continue to do so. Independently or via the many, lowthreshold, affordable sports facilities and events. We want exercise to be an inherent part of life in Rotterdam, whether you are 12 or 82 years old. So that everyone is able to benefit from the pleasure, happiness and benefits sports and exercise provide. We also want Rotterdam's sports-related entrepreneurship to flourish. We want to optimally use Rotterdam's power of innovation in the area of sports and exercise, by 3
connecting organisations and initiatives, involved in the sports sector and beyond. The initiatives created via CityLab010 are a prime example of this. These clever connections are reflected in the Sports Policy and Sports Vision 2030, as well as in the rotterdamsport.nl online sports platform. The platform is dedicated to sports and highlights the range of sports and exercise, facilities and stories of sport in the city and involving the people of Rotterdam. Examples include Esmael, who discovered a new freerun trail, Esther, whose run along the Kralingse Plas can be enjoyed by others as she wears her GoPro, and Arie, who joined a group of Nordic walkers on the recommendation of his physiotherapist when he retired. Sports and excercise is part of Rotterdam and belongs to all their citizens. Our policy has been developed in association with many Rotterdam residents, organisations, sports providers and sports partners. Together, we are getting the city to exercise more, and more often. Sports get Rotterdam moving. Adriaan Visser, Alderman for Finance, Organisation, Port, City Centre and Sports 4
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Rotterdam in 2030? Today, sport is increasingly becoming an intrinsic part of the city. Rotterdam is home to three Dutch premier league football clubs: Feyenoord, Sparta and Excelsior. Top-class athletes from Rotterdam such as Nouchka Fontijn and Jeroen Hertzberger celebrate success at national and international competitions. Major sports events such as the marathon and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament are permanent fixtures on the sports event calender. Sports locations such as Sportplaza Zuiderpark, the Willem-Alexander Baan rowing course and Topsportcentrum Rotterdam attract visitors from all over the country. Popular sports achieve success due to the innovating concepts launched in recent years. Sports plus associations offer new, low-threshold activities and establish links with other social initiatives in the city. In many districts, school sports clubs represent the first step to structural sports. And an increasing number of children acquire a healthy basis thanks to the Lekker Fit! programme. Rotterdam is committed to promoting sport and movement in the city even more than it does today. Because sport and movement result in vital people, and vital people create a vital and vibrant city where it is agreeable to live, work and spend time. 7
8 Rotterdam's sporting goals for 2030: The city invites people to get moving and participate in sport. In 2030, Rotterdam will be a playing field with plenty of good quality, accessible sports facilities and amenities that entice people to get moving, indoors and outdoors. Even more Rotterdam residents will enjoy exercise. In 2030, all Rotterdam residents can have fun participating in exercise at their own level, in their favourite way and when it suits them. Sport offers more benefits. In 2030, it goes without saying that sport and movement will be used in the field of healthcare, well-being, youth (and youth assistance), education and employment, etc. to reap the positive effects in terms of talent development, health, the economy and participation in society. Rotterdam embodies ambition and innovation. In 2030, Rotterdam will showcase even more sports and elite sports with prominent events, innovative concepts related to sport and movement, and an impressive elite sports structure.
Our challenges: An increasing number of Rotterdam residents need flexibility, quality and new forms of exercise. The boundaries between sports, exercise, play, entertainment, culture and leisure time are becoming blurred. The challenge lies in responding to the growth and need for diversity in exercise and sports participation. Many Rotterdam residents and organisations demonstrate entrepreneurship, are innovative and achieve great results. The challenge is to provide this entrepreneurship with room to manoeuvre by supporting existing and new initiatives. The people of Rotterdam participate less in sports than people in other major cities. Participation varies significantly between districts. The challenge lies in reducing these differences. In recent years Rotterdam has set up a number of pioneering and effective sports and exercise projects. They have achieved social and economic results for the city. The challenge is to afford sports and exercise a permanent place in other sectors such as healthcare, well-being, youth (and youth assistance), employment, the economy and urban development, etc. Rotterdam is an appealing city for events. The challenge lies in striving for distinctive events that are an even better match for the city, in order to increase the effect. 9
Organisations Sports providers ZOO Sports partners Rotterdam residents
Sports Memorandum 2017-2020 In order to achieve our ambitions for 2030, we will take major steps over the next few years. We will do so together with all essential partners in the city such as sports providers, sports associations, entrepreneurs, sports directors in the districts and the Rotterdam Sportsupport and Rotterdam Topsport foundations. Over the next four years, Rotterdam will continue to build on the policy that has proven so fruitful in recent years. The Municipality's role will focus more on facilitation and less on implementation. The four priorities will take the following form. The city invites people to get moving and participate in sports Appealing places will entice people to engage in sports and get moving. It's as simple as that. In 2020, we want Rotterdam to have adequate, good quality, accessible and affordable facilities, which meet the requirements of Rotterdam residents. We will periodically analyse supply and demand for sports facilities and will improve the quality of sports premises. We will expand if genuinely needed and financially feasible. Walkers, cyclists, runners and freerunners will enjoy attractive routes along the water, parks and green urban spaces. They use outdoor facilities. People who participate in, for example, football, hockey 11
or volleyball clubs will do so at an outdoor sports complex or in a sports hall. We will improve the design of sports locations in the districts to better meet specific demand. Rotterdam is a city for everyone to participate in sport in an optimally accessible, enjoyable and diverse manner. Organisations will be encouraged to work together to achieve the best possible use of the available facilities. The temporary skating rink - only available in winter - at Sportpark Toepad is a prime example of this. To ensure sports areas are easily accessible, we will create a digital sports rental counter. Rotterdam residents with an idea can submit their proposal directly to a single counter. Rotterdam is issuing a challenge in the area of innovation and entrepreneurship. We also aim to use surprising locations such as vacant warehouses and sites for sports and exercise. What's more sports and exercise will be more visible in the design of the city centre. Even more Rotterdam residents will enjoy exercise Life-long participation in sports and exercise starts as young as possible. We will encourage children to try out different sports and discover what they enjoy and what they are good at, from an early age. Participating in sports and exercise results in good motor skills development, habits and a sound fitness level for later, if started when young. 12
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All too often, teenagers drop out of sports and exercise activities. The aim is to create an appealing range of sports and exercise that is more affordable, flexible and accessible, so that fewer teenagers drop out. An adapted range of sports and exercise will ensure adults and pensioners remain enthusiastic about exercise and will age in good health. Special attention is devoted to Rotterdam residents who 'lag behind' in terms of participating in exercise, or residents with a disability. They will be encouraged to begin or continue, participating in sports and exercise. All Rotterdam residents have their own way of exercising and remaining active, at their own pace and level. To align supply and demand more effectively, we will encourage entrepreneurship among existing and new sports providers. We will examine what Rotterdam residents need. We will facilitate sports and exercise providers in a district-based manner based on knowledge of the specific needs in the district concerned. This will enable us to reduce the differences in sport participation between the districts. Sports clubs will still be important. We will encourage and support sports clubs that are open-minded and come up with enterprising ideas. Sports offers even more benefits Sports provides a great foundation for a more promising and healthier life and has positive effects on educational results, well-being, the economy and participation in 15
society. It contributes to children's talent development and increases their opportunities in society. People who get enough exercise are less susceptible to the risk of chronic disease. In 2020, the connection between healthcare and other sectors will be intensified. Sports and exercise make Rotterdam residents feel more active, they make more social contacts and are more likely to perceive their health as 'good'. This lowers the threshold for embarking on a training course or (voluntary) work. Self-reliance improves. For job-seekers, the elderly and others who are relatively prone to loneliness, the threshold for re-entry into participating in society becomes lowered. Therefore, the city challenges all businesses and organisations active in Rotterdam to invest in sports and exercise. Examples include schools, childcare institutions, employers, welfare and youth institutions and organisations that mobilise the unemployed. In association with Rotterdam Partners, we will invite regional businesses and knowledge institutions apply sports and the exercise sector as a starting point for innovations. Rotterdam embodies ambition and innovation In 2020, Rotterdam will be an even sportier city, hosting prominent (multi) sports events, during which images of Rotterdam icons, such as the Erasmus Bridge, the Market Hall and Central Station will be shown all over the world. Sports events mobilise many Rotterdam residents and attract an international audience. People enjoying sports can be found all over the city and the facilities suit all 16
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levels. The events will inspire people to get moving and will connect elite sports, multi-sports and popular sports. To expand the economic and social spin-off, we will involve more parties in organising the events and the peripheral programming. This will ensure the sports events are an even better match for the city. Support and expertise will be provided to organisers of sports events via a single, central, digital counter. There will also be plenty of room for innovative initiatives. Sports clubs, businesses and organisations outside the sports sector will actively respond to the sporting needs of the people of Rotterdam. Up-and-coming talent will have the opportunity to develop into top-class athletes. Our ambition is to occupy a place in the national elite sports structure. Along with the Hague and Dordrecht, we are working on obtaining NOC*NSF status from the Centre for elite sports and Education. 18
New initiatives The organisation of the sports sector itself is changing. The current model of sports associations and sports federations is still very important. However, we are also observing significant growth in the number of informal sports participants, people who participate in sports and exercise in the outdoor space, when and how they want. Changing networks and alliances are gaining ground. Social media is used to put sports participants in contact with each other, as demonstrated by the Rotterdam Running Crew. We welcome such developments. We want Rotterdam residents to devise initiatives that lead to a sporty, lively and self-regulating Rotterdam. Not steered, but facilitated, by the Municipality. This requires social entrepreneurship and vital sports clubs. 19
Colophon This is a publication by the Municipality of Rotterdam, Sports & Culture Department in relation to the Sports Memorandum 2017+ www.rotterdamsport.nl/beleid November 2016