From Bangkok to Bogota, these 20 innovative urban initiatives keep people moving and joyful
Fitness is often framed as a personal endeavour but cities can help to nudge us into healthier lifestyles. A charming playground, safe cycle lanes and well-designed waterfronts are a start.
1.
A bike-storage gear shift
Biketti, Helsinki
Some cities pour millions into cycle lanes but then ignore the final metre. Finnish firm Biketti aims to fix that with wooden storage solutions. The units come in various sizes, holding between 10 and several hundred bikes. They keep cycles safe and offer self-service access for repairs and cleaning. Some also feature storage for helmets and clothing. “We use ethically sourced timber and have architects to make sure that our bike garages not only function well but also look good,” says Janne Kalliomäki, CEO of Biketti. For now the market is Finland but don’t be surprised to see them elsewhere soon.
biketti.com
2.
Technology that creates a more active city
Coco Robotics, Los Angeles
If you live in a US city (or a Finnish one, for that matter) you might have seen Coco Robotics delivery vehicles pootling around, as autonomous driving becomes an increasing part of our lives. One of Coco Robotics’ more surprising partnerships was announced in April 2026: a collaboration with BlindSquare, the leading accessible GPS app for the blind, deafblind and partially sighted. As Coco’s fleet gathers data while travelling the streets, information on obstacles gets fed back to BlindSquare, which provides alerts for its users. The scheme is available in six cities, from Miami to Turku.
cocodelivery.com; blindsquare.com
3.
A good case of thinking small
El Parque Gulliver, Valencia
Valencia’s beloved El Parque Gulliver is a 70-metre sculpture for children to clamber over. The structure recreates the arrival of Jonathan Swift’s titular character in the land of Lilliput, as recounted in the classic novel. Installed in the 1990s by designer Rafael Rivera, the playground is tucked inside Turia gardens and was recently refurbished. Almost 100,000 people a month flock to it during the city’s sticky summers. Nearby are giant chessboards, picnic areas, running tracks, skate parks and – importantly – a bar in which to sip on something cold while the children burn off some energy.
4.
Connecting spaces
Green Bridge, Bangkok
When Benjakitti park was extended earlier this decade, edging closer to Lumpini park by absorbing a swathe of land, City Hall built a temporary elevated walkway to link the two green spaces. In May, a permanent walkway called Green Bridge was unveiled, taking runners, walkers and cyclists safely across two roads and over the rooftops of a dense inner-city neighbourhood. The landscaping, lighting and lanes for pedestrians (using paving stones for delineation) make for pleasant early morning or late-evening strolls that show off canals, colourful temples and tall towers.
5.
Mental fitness matters
Goodlife Studio, Singapore
Singapore’s strategy for ageing emphasises staying socially connected and mentally sharp. Leading the charge is Montfort Care, which partnered with Singapore practice DP Architects to co-develop the concept of Goodlife Studio. The centres host activities for seniors such as carpentry and tea appreciation. The former have been especially successful in building support networks among men, who research suggests are at greater risk of social isolation. “We have crafted borderless environments that are welcoming and foster interaction,” says CEO, Chee Huang Seah.
montfortcare.org.sg; dpa.com.sg
6.
A free leg up
Bam Park, Milan
Finances shouldn’t stop the elderly from accessing exercise that keeps them limber. Bam Park in Milan’s Porta Nuova neighbourhood is alive with activities. It holds a free exercise class for the over-65s every Thursday at 10.30 between April and October. Bam has other events focusing on mental and physical sharpness – all of them free – including a metabolic walk (Tuesdays at 13.00) designed to help digestion, posture and circulation.
bam.milano.it
7.
Promoting a promenade
St Kilda Pier, Melbourne
A jewel of Melbourne’s St Kilda neighbourhood is its historic quay, which was refurbished by architecture firm JCB in 2024. The heritage kiosk was retained while wood that was removed from the structure was used for benches. Paths were widened, toilets refreshed and curved amphitheatre seating introduced. At dusk, mast-shaped poles cast a soft glow – designed to not disturb a colony of penguins – while keeping the jetty alive for evening sprints and cold-water dips.
jcba.com.au
8.
Critical infrastructure can be a picnic
East River Park, New York
East River Park is a major initiative to safeguard Lower Manhattan from rising seas. Alongside flood protection for more than 110,000 residents, lining the waterfront are raised lawns, basketball and tennis courts, picnic and barbecue areas, a playground and play fountains. The park is also now more accessible than before, thanks to a pedestrian bridge over the buzzing FDR Drive.
nycgovparks.org
9.
Make space where you can
Namba Parks, Osaka
With a population density of 12,500 people per square kilometre, Osaka is one of the densest urban environments on Earth. But Namba Parks, completed in 2003 and designed by architect Jon Jerde, proves that green initiatives that get people outside can work in the tightest of spaces. Winding through a retail complex, the parks contain eight storeys of organic terraces, including groves, streams, ponds and waterfalls. The crowning glory is Parks Garden, open to the public and home to more than 500 species of plants.
nambaparks.com
10.
Get your skates on
Fucikarna, Prague
Skateparks shouldn’t be eyesores and nobody knows this better than U/U Studio. The firm’s team skate themselves and focus on the intersection between urban planning and skateparks as hangout spots for young people. Their latest ‘skate plaza’ opens this summer on the site of a former outdoor cinema in Mnichovo Hradiste, north of Prague. It comes complete with ramps and rails, as well as integrated seating, cupboards and clothes hooks to keep bags and equipment safe and dry.
uustudio.cz
11.
A company that gets the blood pumping
Metta Running House, Mexico City
Run clubs are a dime a dozen: risibly, many are online. Metta Running House, however, is a concept shop, featuring brands such as Nike and Hermanos Koumori in Mexico City’s Polanco neighbourhood. It revolves around all things real-life running – from branded races to a club membership with access to on-site lockers, showers and space to recover.
mettarunninghouse.com
12.
A little cycling insight
Bicycle School, Tirana
Albania’s capital, Tirana, is pioneering a model that transforms open spaces into mocked-up miniature cityscapes, where children learn the rules of the road in tandem with how to ride a bike safely. Opened in 2024, Bicycle School features scaled-down replicas of pedestrian crossings, roundabouts and cycle paths that run through pocket parks, as well as other road markings that young participants will come to recognise, ready for when they are old enough to cycle through the city in earnest. When that time comes, it’ll feel like child’s play.
13.
Adapt the resources that you already have
Sea Lanes Canary Wharf, London
While not every city waterway can be as clean as those in Copenhagen or Zürich, technology can help. Swimming pools offer places to swim without needing to clean an entire river, canal or channel. For years, London has had little in the way of a recreational relationship with such features but Sea Lanes Canary Wharf, which opened in June, is a watershed moment. The 50-metre pool, filled with water from the Eden Dock and independently from the River Thames, uses filtering membranes to make the water safe for swimming. Flanking the pool are dome-shaped wood saunas fuelled by renewable energy, with seating and foliage making it ideal for Londoners seeking to relax. While the thought of swimming in the Thames isn’t at the top of most Londoners’ to-do list, this neat solution is attempting to turn the tide.
sealanescanarywharf.co.uk
14.
Splashing out on public pools
Cape Town
Though the first public pool in Cape Town opened in 1908, in recent years the number has dwindled as resources have been cut. The city’s ambitious mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, has swum against the tide by investing ZAR40m (€2m) to get them open again, after identifying their civic importance – particularly for those unable to access the coast’s cool waters. During this year’s southern-hemisphere summer, all but one of Cape Town’s 37 pools were open for business, enticing 660,000 visitors during the course of the season. Having an affordable place to take a dip matters – other City Halls should take note.
15.
On the waterfront
Ookwemin Minising island, Toronto
Designed as a flood-protection and river-restoration project, the new park and island (formerly Villiers Island, now named Ookwemin Minising) doubles as a year-round recreational space for the public. It also acts as a hub for indigenous heritage, with shade provided by ceremonial structures, space for powwows and plenty of native greenery. Other highlights include kayaking, paddleboarding and canoeing; on land, there’s an event lawn, playgrounds, picnic areas and 6.1km of pedestrian and cycling trails – all with Toronto’s skyline as a backdrop.
latfoundation.org; waterfrontoronto.ca
16.
Making energy is a bright idea
Solar cycling track, Hyderabad
Indian megacity Hyderabad offers its cyclists 23km of shaded corridor that runs alongside two stretches of the city’s outer ring road. It also has a second function: it has no ordinary awning but, instead, 16,000 solar panels generating 16 megawatts of electricity (enough to power 32,000 streetlights). The track includes rental-bicycle points, electric-bike charging pods, food stalls and rest zones. While some issues have been raised, from maintenance to keeping enough rental bikes running, it’s moving in the right direction.
17.
Giving the right protection
Aspern Seestadt, Vienna
It’s no use providing outdoor facilities if they’re too hot in summer and drenched all winter. The first phase of Elinor-Ostrom Park, which runs beneath and to the side of a raised metro line, was completed in 2021. “The park’s shelter from the weather and the cool shade make the area well suited to sports uses,” says Jakob Kastner, open-space planner at Wien 3420 Aspern Development, the company behind Aspern Seestadt. There are year-round sports facilities and a bouldering rock for children, a motor-skills park and a cycling area, plus tables and benches. In short, a masterclass in how to build protected outdoor space.
aspern-seestadt.at
18.
Offering some relief
The Tokyo Toilet, Tokyo
In 2020, 16 celebrated architects were handed an unusual brief: redesign public lavatories in the Shibuya neighbourhood for a project prosaically titled “The Tokyo Toilet”. The result? Properly democratic designs by everyone from Shigeru Ban to Masamichi Katayama and, arguably more importantly, toilets that are cleaned three times a day. The glistening results mean none of the dread that often accompanies having to use public facilities in other locales, allowing residents and visitors to run further, wander longer and fully inhabit the city around them.
tokyotoilet.jp
19.
Getting the lights right
Nudgee Recreation Reserve, Brisbane
Lighting manufacturer Ewo was founded in Italy in 1996 and has been pioneering a less glaringly bright take on LEDs for a decade. It has cemented itself as a high-end player covering everything from homes to airports while looking to reduce energy waste and mitigate light pollution. Many cities have taken a shine to its floodlight system, which was developed for sporting occasions. Take the state-of-the-art Nudgee Recreation Reserve project in Brisbane, in which it worked alongside lighting engineering firm Rubidium Light to create perfect illumination for everything from a bike track to a dog park.
ewo.com
20.
Community clean-ups
Plogging, Bogotá
How do you improve an already positive fitness activity? By making sure that it’s not only yourself benefitting from it. Plogging, a wonderfully named social movement so simple that you wonder why it hasn’t been done before, combines litter picking with run clubs and sporting events and has become a way of bringing back civic pride while also burning some calories. Originating in Sweden around 2016, the name merges the Swedish words plocka upp – pick up – with jogging. Plogging Colombia is one of the most successful adoptions of the green-minded initiative to date.