semmelweis university - Faculty of Physical Education and Sport ...

Paweł Zembura
Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Poland
Supervisor: Janusz Mastalerz, professor
Barriers to Popularizing Outdoor Physical Activity in Warsaw
Introduction: Improving a participation in physical activity is a crucial task for local
governments, since it influences the society‘s well-being, being a tool against the effects of
sedentary lifestyle. Outdoor physical activity should play an integral part in it. In Warsaw
overall city budget the investments in sport and recreation facilities and programs in the last
few years have remarkably increased. As a result of the running strategy the city was awarded
the prestigious European capital of Sports Award in 2008. In short period of time the great
sport event, the Euro 2012, will be taking place here. Analyses of areas where programs
promoting physical activity were situated show that only a small percent took place outdoors.
Effects of such marginalization might have consequences like infrastructure planning without
taking into consideration the society‘s recreational needs. The research purpose was to
diagnose the barriers preventing the use of outdoor in popularization of physical activity in
Warsaw.
Research: The main method of research was conducting 23 semi-structured interviews with
representatives of organizations planning physical activity strategies and taking care of nonmotorized
transport. These include public sport leaders in town and districts, companies
organizing recreational events, promoting alternative means of transport as well as
representatives of green spaces and forests in Warsaw. The second method used was the
analysis of documents and data concerning sport and leisure planning in the capital city.
Results: To divide barriers mentioned in interviews the modified Ishikawa Diagram has been
used. Four groups were separated: management (policy, strategies), people (manpower,
individual barriers), infrastructure (areas, transport) and external factors (weather, image of
outdoor spaces). Value has been put down to every quoted barrier. The most important group
of barriers turned out to be the management. Highest value has been attributed to not
including the outdoor environment in recreational strategies by decision makers and also to
the lack of contact between the administrative units taking care of green spaces,
communication and sport planners. Important role has been also assigned to the divided
structure of management over green areas, forests and parks within the city.
Conclusions: The main barrier to the promotion of the outdoor physical activity is the low
importance given to the subject by city-planners, which is connected with quick development
of indoor facilities. Outdoor environment including cycle and pedestrian routes isn‘t treated
like an integral part of the urban planning, influencing the society‘s attitudes towards active
life. Many investments in sports halls, stadiums and sport fields cause situating most constant
recreational actions in it. Districts sp ort departments are usually connected with units
administrating them, so they have to place all kinds of events and programs there. On the
other hand they have to deal with many separated green spaces administrators, which make
the process of developing the strategies more complicated. The urban planning, including
constructing the cycling routes and green spaces, isn‘t consulted with the departments taking
care of sport and recreation.
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