Sport and the city, between urban regeneration and sustainable development The Cagliari case study

Sport has always played a prominent role in civil society. Although it has been conceived as a strategic political means throughout history, nowadays sport is considered a positive force in achieving sustainable development. The international documents recognize the contributions it makes to health, education and social inclusion objectives. Anyway, the analysis concerning the relationship between sport and the city should consider both social and physical aspects because people are progressively understanding the city as an ideal palimpsest for sports activities. In this regard, the new phenomenon called "street sport" represents a real challenge for urban governance and planning. The present study focuses on policies and urban design projects adopted by Cagliari City Council to make Cagliari a great Sports City. Cagliari has unique environmental, geographical and climatic features which allow to promote sport activities throughout the year. Moreover, in the recent years the City has realized significant interventions, both on a local and on a regional scale, as the operation - on going - of refurbishment and reconstruction of the new Stadium. Within this favourable condition, the authors examine the community perception on benefits that sport provides for human well-being and for city development through the administration of a specific questionnaire. The outcome of this survey highlights to what extent citizens recognize Cagliari as a Sports City and gives interesting suggestions for the definition of shared policies and actions able to assume sport as a lever of sustainable development in the future.