What happens when you bring together professionals from different European cities and ask them a deceptively simple question: what really matters to you? Not what is currently fashionable in urban development, not which project has received the most funding, but which challenges deserve our collective attention. That was the starting point of the European Sports and Wellbeing Alliance for Municipalities (ESWAM) gathering in Sliema, Malta, in October 2026. Rather than opening with a traditional presentation, ESWAM co-founder Arno Hermans invited participants to contribute their own perspectives, expectations and ambitions. Within minutes, the conversation revealed something important: despite their different backgrounds, European cities are struggling with remarkably similar questions.
The first exercise explored what participants associated with Malta. The answers painted a picture of a Mediterranean lifestyle shaped by the sea, sunshine and outdoor activity. Football, water polo, swimming, diving, hiking, walking and outdoor gyms appeared alongside more complex associations such as sports betting, limited public space and heat. These were not necessarily conclusions about Malta, but perceptions brought into the room by the visiting delegation. And that distinction mattered. A study visit should challenge assumptions, not simply confirm them. The exercise created an opportunity to compare expectations with reality and discover how local circumstances influence the relationship between sport, health and everyday life.
The discussion quickly moved beyond Malta. Hermans asked participants to identify the issues they wanted ESWAM to address in the coming years. The resulting flipovers became a surprisingly revealing snapshot of Europe's urban challenges. How can cities activate residents who rarely participate in sport? How do we keep people engaged throughout different stages of life, particularly when time, money and family responsibilities become obstacles? How can municipalities support sports clubs struggling with volunteers, coaches and funding? And perhaps most importantly, how do we know whether our investments actually improve people's lives?
Measuring impact emerged as a particularly important question. European municipalities invest considerable resources in facilities, programmes and public spaces, yet counting participants or completed projects tells only part of the story. The group raised the need to understand the results of interventions and use evidence to improve decision-making. This requires moving beyond the number of sports facilities a city owns towards understanding who uses them, who remains excluded and what changes when opportunities become more accessible. Data should not simply justify past investments. It should help cities recognise problems early enough to do something about them.
Another recurring concern was the growing pressure on urban space. In densely populated cities, finding room for new sports facilities is increasingly difficult. Participants discussed creative solutions, climate adaptation, energy use and the operational costs of facilities. Ideas ranged from making better use of existing infrastructure to activating overlooked spaces and developing more inventive public campaigns. Even small interventions, such as better signage or playful prompts encouraging movement, can contribute to a broader conversation about how cities design environments that invite people to be active. The underlying question was not simply where to build more facilities, but how to create more opportunities within the space already available.
Inclusion added another dimension. Participants highlighted accessibility for people with disabilities and minority groups, alongside the importance of involving stakeholders earlier in the development process. An attractive public space is not automatically an inclusive one. Nor does constructing a new facility guarantee that residents will use it. Meaningful participation requires understanding different needs, collaborating with local organisations and designing programmes that remain relevant after the opening ceremony. This is where urban planning, sport policy and social wellbeing begin to overlap.
“The future of active cities is not about who builds the most. It is about who learns, connects and creates the greatest impact.”
Hermans then turned the conversation towards the future of ESWAM itself. Participants were invited to consider which European cities should join the network. Brussels, Budapest, Limerick, Liverpool, Bordeaux, Hamburg, Kraków, Valencia, Essen and Lausanne were among the suggestions. The discussion was not simply about expanding a membership list. It was about finding complementary expertise in areas such as public space, cycling, urban transformation, cultural participation and European funding. One particularly interesting suggestion was to combine networks rather than allow them to operate separately. After all, many organisations are already addressing similar challenges, often without benefiting from one another's knowledge.
The wider ambition became clear through the discussion of future study visits, European collaboration and funding opportunities. With upcoming activities in Nürnberg and Helsinki, ESWAM is building a platform where cities can exchange practical experience, challenge conventional approaches and explore joint initiatives. European cooperation becomes particularly valuable when inspiration develops into a concrete partnership, shared research or an initiative that can be tested in different urban contexts. The objective is not to copy successful projects from one city to another, but to understand the principles behind them and translate those lessons into local circumstances.
Looking back at the opening session in Sliema, the most interesting outcome was not a single idea written on a flipover. It was the collective recognition that the future of active cities cannot be shaped by infrastructure alone. Cities need better evidence, stronger local partnerships, inclusive programming, imaginative use of space and the willingness to learn from one another. Arno Hermans began the gathering by asking participants what mattered to them. The answers provided more than an agenda for three days in Malta. They offered a direction for what ESWAM could become: a European network that turns shared questions into shared progress.
Arno Hermans Member of the board ESWAM