How can European Cities help to fight obesity and cardiovascular disease?
The EU Erasmus+ STANDOUT Project is convinced that if we want healthier EU citizens – 76 % of whom live in cities – we need to make sports and recreational opportunities available at people’s doorstep. Figuring out how to do so is the core of the STANDOUT project, led by the @European Network of Outdoor Sports and nine other partners across Europe.
The project aims to develop quality standards for European cities that want to become #OutdoorCities, by
- condensing scientific evidence from health, sports and sociology studies on outdoor sports
- create relevant, easy-to-use standards for cities and municipalities, suitable for all European countries; and
- publish standards and guidelines that motivate cities to improve outdoor sports infrastructure, natural environments, sports policies, and educational offerings.
About halfway through the project, the European partner consortium met in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, for the third in-person knowledge exchange to shape the standards for European Outdoor Cities. In addition to very intensive work sessions on the dimensions and quality of the standards, we could profit from the experience and expertise from successful existing standards on the European level:
Key takeaways from our experts:
@Catarina Gonçalves from @Blue Flag presented their award and standardization model, which ensures bathing quality, safety, and good environmental management for beaches, marinas, and sustainable tourism boats. With 5,195 (!!!) awarded sites in 51 countries worldwide, we could learn a lot from their 40+ years of experience in working with municipalities and cities.
Although the Blue Flag award could be seen as a certification, Catarina pointed out that: “We don’t certify; we recognize a group’s engagement. Certification is just a carrot to encourage engagement.”
Thank you very much, Catarina, for sharing your expertise!
The US-based @STOKE Certification aims to promote sustainable tourism and outdoor experiences for surfing and snow sports. Project partner and incredible exchange host @João Zamith from the Viana do Castelo Surf Club presented their experience in integrating more sustainability in their processes in hospitality, education, and events. João Zamith, a project partner and incredible exchange host from the Viana do Castelo Surf Club, presented their experience integrating sustainability into their hospitality, education, and event processes. João said, “Sustainability isn’t a stamp; it’s a long-term commitment that can only be achieved by the entire organization and its partners.”
Our recommendation: Visit the Viana do Castelo High Performance Surf Center to see their efforts firsthand!
The Estação Náutica model developed by Mafra is a regional strategy for developing certified nautical ecosystems. It connects local government, tourism, sports clubs, and education under one sustainable vision. It’s very inspiring that to get recertified, you have to improve on what you’ve achieved so far, not just maintain the current standard. That’s what commitment looks like!
These inputs fueled rich discussions within our consortium on how to:
- Embed inclusion and sustainability into every category
- Refine terminology and align standards with municipal realities
- Co-create standards that include community identity, storytelling and continuous improvement
And, yes — we also hit the waves. Because nothing connects people and purpose like discussing sustainable development on a surfboard.
Big thanks to our hosts at Surfing Viana High Performance Center and the Municipality of Viana do Castelo, as well as to everyone who contributed to making this an energizing and forward-moving exchange!
The Standout project seeks to integrate outdoor sports into urban planning, reshaping urban environments for community well-being. The project establishes standards through cross-sectoral collaboration, with a focus on inclusivity, diversity and sustainability.
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#STANDOUT