City of Brisbane to join IOC and UN-Habitat sport and urban development initiative

The innovative joint programme between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and United Nations-Habitat (UN-Habitat) aims to create communities where sports and physical activities are integrated into daily life, fostering healthier, happier and more inclusive cities and urban communities.

James Macleod, Director of Olympic Solidarity, National Olympic Committee Relations and Olympism365 at the IOC, said this announcement highlights its efforts to use sport to promote active lifestyles and inclusive urban environments.

“Brisbane's position as one of the first cities in the International Olympic Committee and United Nations-Habitat initiative is recognition of the city’s commitment to using sport as a catalyst for creating vibrant and accessible urban environments,” he said. “Brisbane will serve as a model for other cities around the world in promoting physical activity, healthy lifestyles and inclusive communities, showcasing the transformative role sport can play in sustainable urban development. This partnership aligns perfectly with our vision for Brisbane 2032 as Games that will help address the needs of the growing Queensland population and our commitment to driving the positive impact of sport in cities across the globe.”

UN-Habitat Deputy Executive Director Michal Mlynár added that Brisbane’s recognition highlights how collaboration and sport can influence inclusive and sustainable urban development.

“As we proudly unveil our collaboration with Brisbane as an early adopter city, this collaboration not only underscores the significance of sport as a catalyst for sustainable urban development, but also illustrates the exponential impact that can be achieved when every segment of society actively participates,” he said.

For Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, joining the “Active, Healthy, Inclusive Cities” initiative is an important milestone for the city as it prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.

“Between being a lifestyle capital and a Games host city, Brisbane is the perfect choice for the new Active, Healthy and Inclusive Cities Programme,” he said. “Whether it’s educating people about the value of staying active, working with the community to invest in growth sports or ensuring our suburbs have access to open spaces, I look forward to working with the UN and the IOC on ways we can help make Brisbane residents healthier and happier.”

Brisbane’s involvement in the “Active, Healthy, Inclusive Cities” initiative comes as the city celebrates the opening of the Nudgee Recreation Reserve sports facility and parkland, which is a testament to its ongoing efforts to provide residents with a range of opportunities for staying active. The former landfill site has been rehabilitated into a 12.7-hectare leisure precinct featuring sports fields, a BMX pump track, playgrounds, picnic areas, fitness stations and running tracks.

Promoting physical activity in urban environments

The new initiative of the IOC and UN-Habitat aims to highlight the importance of sport for the sustainable development of cities and the well-being of their residents.

The collaboration builds on the reforms of the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5, which focus on strengthening the role of sport for sustainable development. It also builds on the recognition in 2015 by the United Nations 2030 International Development Agenda of sport as an enabler for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda.

The initiative is part of the IOC’s Olympism365 strategy, which uses sport to promote sustainable development, by engaging with UN-Habitat’s extensive networks of city leaders and officials.

It will also support UN-Habitat’s SDG Cities Initiative, a signature programme enabling cities to accelerate efforts towards achieving the SDGs and enhance the quality of life for urban residents. By offering support in the form of data, evidence-based planning, capacity-building, project financing and certification, the SDG Cities Initiative aspires to impact one billion lives across 1,000 cities by 2030.

Olympism365 is the IOC’s strategy and programme to strengthen the role of sport as an important enabler for the SDGs, which it achieves by collaborating with a range of partners from both within and beyond the Olympic Movement. The themes and targeted outcomes areas for Olympism365 reflect the positive role that sport and Olympism can play in society by contributing to creating healthier and more active communities, more equitable, safer and inclusive communities, peacebuilding, and education and livelihoods. It is a catalyst for collective action, innovation and realising the potential of urban sport and virtual sport to be a force for good.