The photos below are of two of the outdoor gyms closest to our home when I lived in the central Swedish city of Örebro. Both were within a 10-15 minute walk from our home and were a real outlet for me for physical exercise.
It was while living in this city that I started Pedestrian Space, began visually documenting diverse aspects of walkability, and also began thinking about spatial equity more.
I also took the time to explore other inner-city neighborhoods, as well as different suburbs, including what I will simply call ‘house suburbs’ (suburban areas dominated by single-family homes) and ‘apartment suburbs’ (suburban areas largely dominated by large apartment complexes, with some single-family homes also present).
What was important was not that I alone could access multiple outdoor gyms within a 10-15 minute walk from my home (though documenting that ‘lived experience has been an important springboard & foundation for my advocacy & research). What was important was that in exploring diverse neighborhoods, one could observe that outdoor gyms were not a feature unique to only some neighborhoods. They were in all neighborhoods!
Spatial equity regarding such amenities and related features like parks and playgrounds prioritizes their presence in all neighborhood planning as a public good.
This documentation also began for me in 2020, during the pandemic, when various local restrictions, or that I heard about in other cities, had me looking at the built environment and urban fabric via a new lens of resilience and quality of life.
All of this serves as a foundation to the ‘Pandemic Insights’ series I am piloting. I began interviews last month with questions largely related to issues of mobility, community, and public space, as related to the pandemic and lockdowns of 2020.
I am continuing to pilot this series this Summer and Autumn and am grateful to all who have taken their time to participate. The interview process (lasting 45 minutes to one hour) is meant to be an experience in itself. If you are interested in participating, please DM me or drop an email at info@pedestrianspace.org
I currently do not have a place-specific approach, but look forward to taking this method to a city, region, and/or national level. If you are with a municipal or national authority, or a research or academic institute, and are curious about collaborative research, please also get in touch.
-Annika