New partnership to strengthen public health
October 13, 2025
The Arwidsson Foundation and the Shared City Foundation are launching a new partnership to strengthen public health through inclusive urban development, with a particular focus on sports facilities and safe neighbourhood environments. Drawing on current research and the UN tool Her City, Swedish municipalities are offered practical solutions that create places where physical activity, social connection and a sense of safety become a natural part of young people’s everyday lives. Municipalities receive support in developing health‑promoting sports facilities for all, especially for those who today stand outside organised sports. The initiative aims to establish a new standard for how sports facilities are planned in Sweden, with a focus on equity, health and long‑term social value.
Reports from the Public Health Agency of Sweden show that when people have close access to sports facilities, green spaces and safe routes, physical activity increases, mental health improves and social inequalities decrease. Municipalities that invest in inclusive and accessible urban development can also expect significant socio‑economic benefits, including fewer sick days, reduced healthcare costs and increased attractiveness as places to live and work. International studies indicate that the health benefits can amount to up to 100 times the initial investment. Well‑designed and inclusive neighbourhoods also reduce segregation and social exclusion, and contribute to crime‑prevention effects, as socially cohesive and accessible urban areas strengthen trust between residents and increase informal safety in public space.
Access is not only a question of resources, but also of design. Today, young girls in socio‑economically disadvantaged areas are largely absent from organised sports. More than half of the girls in these areas are “missing” from sports participation, compared to girls in more affluent areas where almost 40 percent are active in sports clubs. This is highlighted in the report Sänkta trösklar till idrott by the Swedish Sports Confederation and the Arwidsson Foundation. Limitations in the built environment, social norms and organisational barriers shape how municipal facilities are used and the route to the facility is just as important as the facility itself for girls and young women to feel welcome. The report concludes that inclusive facilities are created through a holistic approach, from physical planning to operations and social interaction, lowering barriers so that more people feel encouraged to use the space.
“If we want more people to be active, meet each other and feel well, we must create environments where everyone feels welcome. Good urban planning is a powerful public health tool that generates both societal and human benefits. Through our new partnership, we want to offer Swedish municipalities proven international knowledge and tools for inclusive sports facilities and urban planning,” says Anna König Jerlmyr, CEO of the Arwidsson Foundation.
The Arwidsson Foundation and Shared City aim to support Swedish municipalities in developing sports facilities, walking and cycling routes, and neighbourhood environments, based on current research and the well‑established Her City methodology. Her City is a digital tool developed together with UN‑Habitat that involves young people and girls in the planning and design of future urban environments. Her City has 1,500 registered users in more than 500 cities across 125 countries. The toolbox is used in 400 independent initiatives, and Shared City and UN‑Habitat have jointly implemented 20 partnership projects around the world.
“Our experience shows that when young girls are included in planning, environments are created that work for everyone. With Her City, municipalities can systematically capture their perspectives and translate insights into the right priorities and practical urban development,” says Thomas Melin, Chair of the Shared City Foundation.
The shared ambition of the Arwidsson Foundation and Shared City is to contribute to establishing a new standard for how sports facilities and surrounding infrastructure are planned in Sweden, with a focus on public health, equity and long‑term societal benefit. The partnership serves as a bridge between research, practical tools and the everyday work of municipalities to strengthen residents’ health and quality of life.
Press Contacts
Tove Levonen, Secretary‑General, Shared City
tove.levonen@sharedcity.se
Anna König Jerlmyr, CEO, Arwidsson Foundation
anna@arwidssonstiftelsen.se