Essay: Active Cities

Israel’s Plads in Copenhagen (above) by Cobe and Sweco Architects offers sporting facilities in the heart of the city. A fenced double basketball court and a small skateboard bowl form the heart of the complex. There are two cascades of seating steps and the entrances to the subterranean car park at the corners of the square.
The rise of fitness awareness leaves its mark on cities, with facilities for sport and exercise increasingly impacting public space. This leads to new design challenges, but enough room should remain for spontaneous, unplanned appropriation of public space by citizens.
Israel’s Plads in Copenhagen (above) by Cobe and Sweco Architects offers sporting facilities in the heart of the city. A fenced double basketball court and a small skateboard bowl form the heart of the complex. There are two cascades of seating steps and the entrances to the subterranean car park at the corners of the square.