0. Remind Pilot Action Scope
Hepness pilot actions are designed by the task forces, created for the direct participation of stakeholders and interested parties, and developed with the aim of “mapping places for outdoors physical activities focusing on ecosystems interrelated benefits, and implementing experimental programs (promotional and practical)”.
Pilot Actions are developed to:
- identify and map places for outdoors physical activities (with sport, health and tourism perspective) focusing on the interrelation amid cities and ecosystem services;
- implement pilot action (promotional and practical) fostering the collaboration among public and private organizations (sport, education, health, tourism, parks, green areas, ...);
- establishing new public and private partnership to ensure the long run durability of the programs.
1. General scope of the Pilot Action
The scope of Vicenza’s Pilot Action is to promote the participation of citizens in physical and sports activities through the enhancement of cultural heritage, natural assets and ecosystem services of Vicenza historical centre and urban outskirts. Municipality of Vicenza involved public and private local stakeholders, establishing the Hepness Vicenza’s Focus Group, for enhancing the opportunity to experience the city and its cultural and natural heritage as an open-air gym.
2. Specific goals and tasks to be fulfilled
The specific goal is to promote the participation of citizens into physical and sports activities through the enhancement of the local cultural and natural heritage: discover and be aware the local natural assets, green spaces and ecosystem services of Vicenza’s historical city centre and urban outskirts.
To achieve this goal, Vicenza’s commitment concerns:
- involving public and private local stakeholders, establishing the Hepness Vicenza’s Focus Group, for enhancing the opportunity to experience the city and its cultural and natural heritage as an open-air gym;
- carrying out citizen information events.
In particular, Vicenza planned to have the following phase approach to the pilot action, involving Hepness Vicenza’s Focus Group:
- To map existing sites and facilities devoted to physical outdoors activities, also areas which would not ordinarily be used for sport or physical activity; citizens can access the information through concerning Green public areas and Sport and education facilities Vicenza’s website sit.comune.vicenza.it/SitVI/vicenza/ Aree verdi pubbliche – Sport e Istruzione;
- To collect the local Good Practices regarding promotion of physical activities from different point of view (life-style, health, environment, relationships, art and culture, tourism, etc…) by the Vicenza’s Task Force; citizens can access the good practices though Hepness website www.hepness.eu/portfolio/vicenza/ and special Brochure in Italian language “Vicenza, Città Hepness, Palestra a cielo aperto”;
- To realize special Hepness Itineraries “City Discovery” (8 km) and “Nature Discovery” (25 km), drawing inspiration from the good practices of other partners; citizens can access the itineraries though Map in Italian language and brochure “Vicenza Palestra a Cielo Aperto”; tourists can access the itineraries through Map in English language; itineraries are available also in the Municipality of Vicenza’s Official App “CityWay” – Section “Trova”.
The consequent promotional and the demonstratives activities have been developed with the purpose to disseminate and mainstream Hepness scope.
3. Target groups aimed by the activities
People of all ages: locals, tourists, visitors and everyone who would like to practice physical activities and enjoy the city of Vicenza.
4. Methodology and tools
Methodology is based on:
- Mapping existing sites and facilities devoted to physical outdoors activities
- Collecting Local Good Practices and benchmarking with other partners’ Good practices
- Active involvement of Vicenza’s Task Force
- Realizing Hepness itineraries for enhancing the opportunity to experience the city and its cultural and natural heritage as an open-air gym.
Tools adopted are:
- Municipality of Vicenza’s Map (improving Vicenza’s website: sit.comune.vicenza.it/SitVI/vicenza/ concerning Green public areas and Sport and education facilities Aree verdi pubbliche – Sport e Istruzione
- Task Force Workshops and Multiplier Events in the sport fields: Vicenza moved to reach targets where they practice sport (events and parks)
- Communication and promotion through different channels: newspapers, social and web
- The direct involvement of territorial associations, Vicenza’s Task Force, has been fundamental and strategic at the same time.
5. Expected impacts and benefits from the pilot actions
We hope that the pilot actions will encourage citizens and groups to reconsider their approach to using their immediate environment to keep active and healthy. In the short term we expect that Vicenza’s Task Force will continue with the events and activities they have been encouraged to initiate through Hepness. In the longer term we expect the educational aspect of Hepness – particularly the best practice examples and awareness raising – will lead to an increase in practice physical activities our municipality.
The impacts and benefits of the actions are recognizable in the two main areas:
- Increasing public awareness of the importance of physical activities and fitness by using public spaces that means the promotion of healthy lifestyle of citizens.
- Promotion and enhancement of cultural and natural heritage that means better understanding of the territory for a long term sustainable living; in particular, the use of urban areas means taking possession of the public places of the city means knowing it better, experiencing it more, and do not giving space to the degradation. Parks, squares, streets acquire a more important social value if they become a territory for sharing citizens' favourite activities.
6. Strategy to mainstream the pilot action
Vicenza intends to utilise Vicenza’s Task Force to carry forward the Hepness principles in association. The creation of mapping and itineraries can become a model that can be capitalized, improved in a more smart tool and then exported to other realities. The map and itineraries can facilitate the active use of urban spaces by the citizens.
Vicenza open-air gym: city and nature discovery itineraries
Vicenza multiplier event
Inauguration of HEPNESS VICENZA CITY DISCOVERY e NATURE DISCOVERY during "Camminando tra gli Sport" local events (Vicenza, 30th September 2018)
Bread, butter and marmalade. The energy on the move 2018
Promotion of "Vicenza, Open-air gym" continues! (Rugby Stadium, Vicenza, 24th - 25th May 2018)
Vicenza multiplier event. Vicenza per lo sport 2018 and HEPNESS
Celebration and promotion of physical activities through "Vicenza – Open-air Gym" (Teatro Astra, Vicenza, 20th April 2018)
HEPNESS with Solez
Hepness interacts with Solez ... the gentle mobility on the move! (Palazzo Cordellina - Vicenza, 23rd March 2018)
Vicenza and Sofia
Sofia European Capital of Sport 2018, represented by Mr Todor Shabanski - head of PR & Media Information Center European Capital of Sport Sofia - meets Vicenza European City of Sport 2017, represented by Umberto Nicolai - Education and Sport Town Councilor - during the Hepness Consortium Meeting in Sofia (21st - 23rd March 2018)
Vicenza multiplier event: "Vicenza, open-air gym"
CITY Discovery and NATURE Discovery tours presentation during StraVicenza Marathon, press conference and WORKSHOP of the Vicenza's Task Force (Vicenza, 15th -18th March, 5th April 2018)
Vicenza's Task Force members received the Hepness certificate
During the final event of Vicenza European City of Sport 2017 "Corri Babbo Natale Corri" (Campo Marzo – Vicenza, 23rd December 2017)
Workshop of the Vicenza's Task Force
(CONI Point di Vicenza, 24 ottobre 2017)
Task Force meeting
Meeting for the Vicenza's Task Force establishment (Piscine di Vicenza, 1st June 2017)
Bread, butter and marmalade; the energy on the move 2017
kick off of "Vicenza, Open-air gym" (Rugby Stadium, Vicenza, 10th-11th May 2017)