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Urban Sports Challenge

In September 2024 3X3 Unites from Amsterdam, Brave from Belgium, TSVE from Bielefeld and German Sports University from Cologne joined forces and kicked- off the EU co-funded project Urban Sports Challenge. During this project which will run until December 2026, young people create three urban spaces that are co-created by young people and are welcoming, accessible and stimulate diversity and inclusion. This project will contribute to increase the participation of young people, by improving their skills and network and by putting them in the lead to shape public physical spaces.

Importance of the project

Although many European cities increasingly aim to put the needs of the local users central to their urban planning, there is a lack of participation of children and young people in shaping public spaces. Additionally, classical youth work organisations find it difficult to organise support in a way that it reaches and works for young people who transition to adulthood.

Youth work organisations from the urban sports and culture sector meet the interests of young people but often lack infrastructure and capacity. Thus, there is a lack in youth-driven and shaped public spaces connected to offers that match the changing needs of young people. 

Based on the identified need, this project’s main objective is: to equip youth work organisations that use urban sports and culture as a tool, with the infrastructure and capacity to empower youth and to meet the changing needs of young people creating youth-driven local public spaces and equipping those organisations with the capacity to run such youth-led processes.

Description of the pilot locations

The three spaces are developed in Bielefeld, Antwerp and Amsterdam and connected to existing projects. Antwerp will use the hospital ZAS Psychiatrisch Ziekenhuis Stuivenberg. In Amsterdam the location is the paperdome in Kraaiennest. In Bielefeld the project is connected to the Hangar.

The Paper Dome
A covered sports dome in the K-neighborhood, offers free sports for youth. Part of the K-midden renewal plan, it includes a 3x3 basketball court managed by 3x3 Unites. Olympic player Worthy de Jong, a local hero, supports the project, fostering community engagement and youth-led initiatives.

Hangar Bielefeld
TSVE Bielefeld e.V., one of the largest sports clubs in the region, integrates 3x3 basketball into its traditional structure, expanding the sport in urban spaces. Committed to youth engagement, TSVE combines sports, education, and community to drive innovation and maximize basketball’s impact for long-term local development.

BRAVE Antwerpen
In Antwerpen-Noord, the former Stuivenberg hospital is transforming into a green public space. From 2024-2026, BRAVE vzw will help reduce gender inequalities by empowering teenage girls to co-design the space and lead activities. Their input will shape a more inclusive, long-term vision for Stuivenberg.

Description of the project phases 

The project is divided into 5 phases. September 2024 until spring 2025 was the project initiation phase where the project was set up administratively and a lot of preparations took place.

The second phase of the project is the recruitment of young people to take part in the project and lasts from spring 2025 until mid of August 2025. During this period at all three cities young people that are already active will set up four recruitment events. Those events are held at the locations which will be developed and are fun events to join and to do urban sports and cultural activities to already gain inspiration on what could be developed at these locations. Those fun activities are combined with informative sessions on the project to give the young people a clear idea what they can expect. Also local stakeholders play an important role during those events and are informed and invited there. 

The third phase of the project is the bootcamp from 21st -24th August 2025 in Amsterdam. During this bootcamp young people that have an idea for the location and want to be involved follow a design sprint to enrich their idea and work towards a pitch of their idea (in which form they want). During this bootcamp they are supported and get input and inspiration from various experts. Additionally, the young people that will take on the role of local coordinator or of mentor take part in the bootcamp to connect to the young people and they follow their basic training for their role in the project. After the bootcamp the young people that will form the core team are selected, based on their idea. 

The fourth phase of the project is one year from August 2025 until August 2026. During this time the core team of young people receives a start capital and financial support to realise their idea for the location. They are supported in the project management by the local coordinator who is also a young person but has more experience and is the key connecting person between the young people and the local project partner. Additionally, the mentor will support the core team of young people in their personal development during this time as these processes are challenging in our experience. During this project phase the core group and other involved young people are educated as youth workers via the 3X3 Leader Course and they take care to involve and activate more young people. They work towards an end event in August 2026 which can be an opening or a celebration of the project results or something similar. 

The last project phase is dedicated to sharing the insights of the project and ensuring the legacy and continuation of the project. The project finished at the end of 2026. 

Join the project!

The project builds on the active involvement and facilitation of young people and young youth workers. For the project there are different possibilities for young people and youth workers to get involved! 

  • Become part of the initiating team of young people to guide the recruitment

  • Join the core team of young people

  • Become the local coordinator to support the core team of young people in the project management

  • Become a mentor to support the core team of young people with their personal development during the pilot phase

Please find here some of the open assignments and options to get involved. Next to the options for youth workers and young people, local stakeholders are of crucial importance. Please contact the project manager directly to get involved:
Maxi Sellering, maxi@3x3unites.com and she can connect you to the local projects.

3X3 UNITES

3X3 Unites inspires and supports young people who want to pursue their dreams. In order to have a positive impact on their lives and therefore the world around them. Using 3x3 as a tools for development to take ownership of their own success. By using our knowledge for the development and design of this sport, but also for the development of the public space where we practice our sport.

TSVE Bielefeld

The Hangar in Bielefeld, central to the Erasmus+ Urban Sports Challenge, revitalizes a former military site for urban sports and creativity. It's a hub for 3x3 basketball and community engagement, empowering youth to shape and express ideas in an inclusive space.

BRAVE

BRAVE empowers girls through urban sports, fostering confidence, inclusion, and community. By organizing free, accessible activities and bootcamps, they create safe spaces for self-growth. Through dialogue, they advocate for more inclusive public spaces and representation.

SPORT UNIVERSITY COLOGNE

The German Sport University Cologne is an experienced partner in running Erasmus+ projects using sport for social change.
Drawing from the experience in the Sport4Development area, the university is responsible for supporting in setting up a continuous process of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and to ensure the quality of the project.

EUROPEAN UNION

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.