Alby Folkhälsopark (Alby Public Health Park)

Description of the practice: 
Timeframe

2014-2016 (including building the park) 

Description

Alby Public Health Park was initiated and brought to reality by Culture, Leisure and Recreation department of the Botkyrka Municipality in collaboration with Konyaspor - Sports and Culture Association (a local association). In 2013, National Board of Housing, Building and Planning (Boverket) released a financial support for development projects with the aim to create gender equal environments in cities. Botkyrka municipality and Konyaspor applied for this funding, specifically targeting women in different age groups in the framework of gender equal city environment.  

The municipality has engaged various groups in a process where they have researched what functions in the park that these different groups would like to see. The project used three reference groups for ensuring the opinions of the female residents:

  • Girls living in Alby in the age of 13-18 that are not active in associations;
  • Girls living in Alby in the age of 13-18 that are active in associations;
  • Women living in Alby in the age of  25-40.

The reference group with girls not active in associations were contacted through a local leisure center for young inhabitants in the area. The second reference group with girls that are active in associations were contacted through a local association for women. And the final reference group with women aged 25-40 were contacted through a Child Care Center.

The decoration work of the Alby Public Health Park was done by 6 local artists as well as by girls from local primary school grade 4-6 (age 10 to 12) decorated some furniture in the park with tile.  Boys from a local sports association collaborated with an architect to design the outdoor gym. Other stakeholder groups that were involved were: Local parents’ association and local association for the retired people. 

 

Objectives
  • To let women and girls in Alby have a considerable impact on the design of Alby Public Health Park.
  • To, together with inhabitants in Alby, develop a sports place that today is worn down and feels unsafe, to a vibrant area for activities.
  • That the Public Health Park becomes an equal meeting place for physical exercise, creativity and experiences.   
Methods

The Alby Public Health Park was developed by the following methods: reference groups, meetings with associations and users, co-creation and co-governance.  

Outcomes

As a result, nowadays the park offers a big variety of activities that can be used for spontaneous sports. Earlier observations in Swedish research show that users of that kind of public out-door sports facilities have mostly been boys/men (75%). Observations in Alby Public Health Park have shown that the park is today being used equally by girls/women (45%-50%) and boys/men, even though girls and boys somewhat differ in which activities they perform. 

Some of the facilities offered in the park:

  • Urban gardening;
  • barbecue;
  • biking;
  • nature play-ground for small kids;
  • running tracks;
  • DJ-table in concrete;
  • scene and sound system with Bluetooth;
  • basket;
  • mini tennis court;
  • parkour/out-door gym;
  • artificial grass for playing soccer;
  • athletics facilities;
  • skate/BMX park;
  • table tennis;
  • out-door cinema;
  • ice skating rink.
  • art;
  • climate friendly lightning.
Further description of the experiences: 
Further utilisation of the good practice

Various Swedish municipalities have visited the Public Health Park, and at least one municipality has shown clear interest in conducting a similar process. 

 

Source of the main image: http://www.boverket.se/contentassets/064090a87a3543789d4599a1e450b338/alby-folhalsopark.pdf