The Project

About the project:

SPAcE (Supporting Policy and Action for Active Environments) aims to integrate active transport programmes (i.e. walking to school, cycle to work schemes etc.) into public policy across the EU. It has an impressive collection of partners including regional governments from Latvia, Romania, Spain and Greece; higher education institutions from the UK (Gloucestershire and Oxford), Switzerland and Greece; non-profit government funded organisation from Finland, plus an NGO from Italy.
The project, led by Prof Diane Crone of the University of Gloucestershire, believes that:

‘This project has the potential to make a real impact on public policy within the EU, and to address physical inactivity levels in our partner countries. Hopefully, the implications of this impact will mean the more active lifestyle choice for people living in those towns and cities will become the easier choice.’

The project commenced on the 1st January 2015 and is for a duration of 3 years (01/01/15 – 31/12/17).

Specific Project Objectives:

  • To share current good (evidenced based) practice of the implementation and promotion of an Urban Active Environment (UActivE) to increase population (community) physical activity levels.
  • To establish working groups in five EU member states to develop an UActivE Action Plan with a focus on creating environments to support physical activity for the creation of a more physical active environment.
  • To develop and embed the UActivE Action Plan into policy/practice in each designated city/town.
  • To develop competencies in the assessment of value of the UActivE Action Plan through training in the use of the Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT).

Project Activities:

  • Carry out scoping exercise of evidence and good practices.
  • Deliver Learning and Sharing of Good Practice Symposium and Workshop in Palermo (Italy) to facilitate the sharing of practice, experience and knowledge across partners and workshop on UActivE Action Plans.
  • Plan, prepare, develop and implement the UActivE Action Plans for 5 implementation sites (Greece, Italy, Latvia, Romania and Spain).
  • Plan, design and deliver HEAT training to patterns and designated staff from each of the implementation sites (2 per partner = 10 trained staff, plus partners).

Intended Results:

  • EU UActivE Summary of Evidence and Good Practice document.
  • Guidance document ‘How to Create and Evaluate an UActivE’ including 5 case studies from partners.
  • ‘How to’ guidance on measuring value of an UActivE, including a complementary media clip.

DG of reference:

DG EAC, Education and Training, Erasmus+ Sport: Collaborative partnerships in the sport field