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Programming Physical Activity: Sporting Uses of Urban Spaces

Part 2 Project 2015
Hoi Him Justin Chan
Chinese University of Hong Kong | China
Being active is one of human’s most persistent recreational pursuits. Whether playing on the playground as a kid in which the sole purpose is fun, or a competitive game of basketball requiring skills and energy, we derive pleasure from the exertion of energy in all possible ways. Contemporary urban practices have denied the diverse patterns in favour of standard sports facilities such as the likes of sports ground and sports centre, which do not necessarily reflect the activity patterns of urbanites. As independent individuals, we are far more active in spaces that are found in our daily surroundings, practicing our own spatial knowledge.

Within the limitation of existing planning framework, I question if sports could be perceived as a much broader concept in relation to the entire community. Sports in this context is reinterpreted as physical expression in its many forms - moderate or intense, organised or improvised. My work speculates that a new urban typology less defined but conductive to different active pursuits is central to restoring the city’s activeness, characterised not only by increased possibility for physical activity but also greater social interaction and cultural exchange.

Hoi Him Justin Chan

Tutor(s)

2015
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