Creating inclusive cities through sport (2023)

Short Summary

Sport wields incredible power to foster inclusion and drive economic growth on various fronts. Therefore, in the quest to build thriving, inclusive societies, it is essential to focus on strengthening sports and championing sports policies, particularly at the city level.

Building on a compilation of successfully city-led good initiatives worldwide, this report higlights concrete examples that leverage sport and physical education as tools to serve as policy guides to national and local authorities and encourage policymakers to prioritize sport in their agenda. 

Featuring examples from UNESCO’s international Coalition of inclusive and Sustainable Cities – ICCAR, and framed within “Fit for Life”, UNESCO’s sport-based flagship, this report extends a warm invitation to activate smart investments in sport, increase grassroots participation, accelerate COVID-19 recovery, and foster inlcusion, integration and non-discrimination among urban inhanbitants. 

Policymakers, local authorities, reasearchers, academics and more are invited to leverage the local cases and mechanisms presented in this report to strenghten and underline the benefits of sport as an indispensable social inclusion mechanism. Together, we can contribute to the global battle against racism and discrimination, starting from our cities.