June 2025

The City of Antwerp has developed a pro-active sports and physical activity policy. From slow and sustainable mobility to outdoor swimming places, how does the city use its natural environment to promote and favour physical activity and sport?

Sports participation in Antwerp has never been higher. It confirms that we’re on the right track and it fuels our ambition to get even more people moving.
Solid and smart investments in high-quality, sustainable sports infrastructure remain essential, but our focus is increasingly shifting toward public spaces. Thanks to the growing popularity of walking, running, and cycling, public spaces have become the place to be for physical activity. These are all accessible forms of movement that we’ve actively encouraged by mapping and improving city-wide routes closed to motorized traffic. Urban sports like skateboarding, 3×3 basketball, and outdoor fitness have also become permanent fixtures in our streetscape.
Still, we believe there’s more to gain. In recent years, we’ve built up a wealth of knowledge, partly thanks to so-called movement scans we conducted in no fewer than nine city neighbourhoods. We’ve shared that expertise with other policy areas so they, too, can view the design of public spaces through a sports and movement lens, creating more active and exercise-friendly neighbourhoods. After all, every square centimeter can contribute to a more active lifestyle and a healthier population. The next step is to turn all that effort into even more real results by continuing the ‘sportification’ of public spaces where everyone can enjoy safe and inclusive physical activity.
With the construction of the Oosterweel junction – the largest mobility and livability project of the century – seven new ring road parks are on the way. These parks will create additional space for sports and play in a natural setting. We see this green transformation as a unique opportunity to make our city breathe and radiate even more movement and physical activity.
The future looks bright, but it would be a missed opportunity not to cherish and build on what nature has already given us. Aquatic sports are a vital part of the nautical DNA that defines Antwerp as Europe’s second-largest port. As a city by the river, we believe it’s time to strengthen our bond with the Scheldt, the port, and the water. That’s why we’re determined to explore that potential – step by step, but to the fullest – provided it’s safe, healthy and practically feasible. The swimming area we opened in the historic Bonaparte Dock, right in the heart of the city, is a great example of this ambition and has already won the hearts of many swimming enthusiasts in Antwerp.
 
What is Antwerp’s policy regarding sports in terms of elite athletes & clubs on one hand and grassroots programmes and sport for all on the other? How does the city combine the two approaches?

As a city, we work together with our elite sports clubs and athletes to foster a socially safe, positive, and ethical high-performance sports environment. One where both seasoned professionals and emerging talents can truly thrive. We are dedicated to ensuring these athletes receive professional guidance and support to perform faster, higher and stronger, without losing their love for the sport or the pure joy of playing.
By developing dedicated elite sports infrastructure, collaborating with our elite sports academy and providing financial support, we aim to help ease their often tough and lengthy journey to the top. At the same time, we remain focused on the social return they generate for the community.
With their inspiring and motivating performances, these ambassadors and figureheads contribute significantly to the city’s sporty and positive image — and they pull the entire city along with them. When they succeed, they simultaneously plant the seeds for future sporting success in Antwerp. Every city needs such flagships across different disciplines, but without a broad and solid fleet behind them, that success comes with an expiration date. Focusing on and investing in young people, regardless of age or level, provides the strongest and most sustainable foundation to build on. The ‘A’ in Antwerp should also stand for ambition. We always aim for the top, but the base is even more important, because that’s where tomorrow’s competitive and recreational athletes are growing. Our true strength lies in the great diversity of Antwerp’s (elite) sports talent.
Elite and grassroots sports must complement and strengthen one another. Everyone in Antwerp who wants to play sports should be able to do so in safe, high-quality conditions — whether at a recreational level or at the very top. That’s a clear priority for us. Our growth spurt in hockey is a great example ; a sport in which Belgium ranks among the world’s best. With the construction of the Hockey Centre of Excellence in Antwerp, the Red Lions, Red Panthers, and the national youth teams now have access to a world-class training facility. This strengthens our position as the elite hockey city, but what truly adds value to this story is that the local hockey team HC Olympia also benefits from these investments.
 
This year, the World Union of Olympic Cities will meet in Seoul and PyeongChang for the Olympic Legacy Forum and the smartcities & sport summit. Technology and innovation will be at the heart of the discussions. How has Antwerp – which is positioning itself as an innovative city – engaged in this new wave of sport & tech?

The world of sports isn’t standing still in Antwerp either. New sports, innovative forms of organisation, and technological developments are finding their way and their audiences. Many of these innovations emerge bottom-up, which is healthy. Some initiatives fade quickly, while others grow into lasting fixtures. It’s up to us to give these enriching ideas the space and opportunities they need to grow and flourish.
A very wise man once said that innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. As the sports capital of Flanders and a renowned innovation hub, the city takes a proactive approach to innovation in its sports offerings. We do this, among other things, by identifying blind spots. This is especially true for target groups who clearly express a desire to be active but face too many barriers to turn that intention into action. Using service design methods, we accurately map out their needs and desires. Based on these insights, we develop innovative programs tailored to their specific needs.
Technology plays a double role in this. On the one hand, it supports the process by, for instance, collecting data on target audiences. On the other hand, technology can also be a solution in itself. Digital tools that fit seamlessly into our residents’ daily lives can help lower or even eliminate barriers such as lack of time or space. Think of digital sports options that can be enjoyed at home; a low-threshold alternative that makes daily exercise more accessible to all.
  
Antwerp hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1920. What are the tangible and intangible legacies and landmarks of the Games that can be mobilised to promote sport and sport-related values in the city?

In the economically fragile post-war context, the chronic lack of time and resources demanded a great deal of improvisation, with inevitable consequences for organisation and infrastructure. As a result, cheap and temporary facilities made of wood, plaster, and fabric were widely used. This explains why there are few, if any, physical traces of the Antwerp Games today. The Olympic Stadium in the Kiel district of Antwerp, the beating heart of the 1920 Games of the VII Olympiad, is still in use by football club Beerschot. But more than a century later, it’s no surprise that today’s stadium only faintly resembles the one from back then.
The Antwerp Games saw three historic firsts, one of which was the raising of the Olympic flag with its iconic rings. One of the flags used at the time is now safely stored in Antwerp City Hall. As the city’s alderman for sports, I can say I never pass up the opportunity to proudly show off this Olympic flag during official visits or guided tours.
And in 2021, 100+1 years after the Summer Games in Antwerp, the ‘Olympiadepark’ was inaugurated on the Olympic Stadium site. At its center stands a monument of the five Olympic rings; a lasting tribute to the world’s largest and most captivating sporting event. A landmark for the city, but also a symbolic return with a clear message: once an Olympic city, always an Olympic city! We would love to relive that Olympic magic, albeit on a manageable scale. That’s why we are aiming to co-host the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2029, together with the City of Leuven.
Since there are few physical traces of the VII Olympiad, the legacy is largely intangible. It lives in the sense of togetherness we aim to reflect as a sports and city community — symbolized by the interwoven Olympic rings. Sport is a powerful community builder, with the unique ability to break down physical and social barriers. With the privilege of being part of the select circle of Olympic host cities comes a responsibility: to take care of our Olympic legacy and to do everything we can to help the people of Antwerp show their most active and athletic side and bring out the best in themselves. Always driven and inspired by the Olympic values of excellence, friendship, and respect — values our city has never let go of and continues to embrace with pride.
 
What are Antwerp’s expectations regarding the World Union of Olympic Cities and how do you think the city can contribute to the development of the association?

Antwerp is a pocket-sized metropolis. A global city on a human scale. I see that smaller scale as an advantage rather than a limitation, as it allows us to be agile and highly focused when it comes to activating our residents.
It also pushes us to be creative and innovative in order to make a real impact. Antwerp is the perfect testing ground for experimentation. We learn something new every day. We would like to share those new insights on the forum and with the vast network that the World Union of Olympic Cities provides.
Other Olympic cities might find it valuable to test the Antwerp approach on a larger scale. In return, we have so much to learn from the major Olympic cities around the world. This exchange leads to a meaningful collaboration that benefits everyone involved.