A new report from the Swedish sports confederation, RF, has revealed that people living in newly built neighbourhoods have to travel significantly farther to reach their nearest football pitch than those living in older communities.
According to the study, the average distance to the nearest football pitch in newly built areas is 750 metres compared with 520 metres in older neighbourhoods built between 1960 and 1980.
The difference may sound small on paper. But for a child walking to training, parents accompanying them or a young person hoping to play a spontaneous game with friends, those extra metres make a real difference.
“We want to reduce, not increase, the distance to our football pitches,” says Caroline Waldheim, Head of Sustainability at the Swedish Football Association. “Accessibility is important, and football is a powerful platform for promoting public health, integration and inclusion.”
Her message goes beyond football.
“These figures point to a negative trend,” she says. “Proximity to sports facilities creates better conditions for football to fulfil its role in society. Politicians need to ensure that such facilities are factored into urban planning at an early stage.”
Growing gap
The study, commissioned by the Swedish Sports Confederation and mapped by Spacecape, was unveiled at Träffpunkt Idrott in Gothenburg. It looked at access to ball courts, sports halls and gyms. The conclusion: newer communities are being built with less space for play.
RF Chair Anna Ivarsson calls it a planning blind spot.
“Planning ideals in recent years have not promoted health, wellbeing or sustainability,” she says. “Now more people are being squeezed into less space, with fewer places to play. What’s more, more people are expected to share the available space in newly built areas. This is something we need to discuss.”
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Government attention
Minister for Sport Jakob Forssmed says the national board of housing, building and planning are now looking for models for safe, accessible sports environments. He also highlights safety from better lighting to greater adult presence as critical to getting kids back on the pitch.
The findings are striking. Reports of unsafe environments have made some parents reluctant to let their children spend time at sports grounds. Forssmed believes improving safety requires both supervision and better infrastructure.
“Sometimes the solution could be as simple as better lighting,” he says. “There is great potential there to improve safety.”
He also points to another untapped resource: older people who are increasingly interested in sport and could become coaches, volunteers and community leaders.
Bringing pitches back home
Initiatives such as Idrottsklivet have increased the presence of sports clubs and qualified coaches in several disadvantaged areas. The Swedish Football Association is contributing through its ‘En bättre väg’ (A better way) initiative, which operates in twelve districts in collaboration with Folksam, ICA and Svenska Spel.
For Waldheim, the importance of football goes far beyond what happens on the pitch.
“Football has a powerful ability to bring people together, build a sense of community and bring about positive social change,” she says. Through ‘A better way’ initiative, she says, football can provide meaningful alternatives for young people and help create a more inclusive society.
“But none of it works without a pitch,” Waldheim stresses.
If Sweden wants more children to start and stay in sport, the answer is simple: bring the pitch back home.
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