Promoting Active Cities Throughout Europe (PACTE) held the first workshop in Liverpool on November 15-16^th, 2018. Hosted by the Liverpool City Council, a key project partner, the workshop welcomed participants from across Europe to discuss and develop the project's Active City concept.

The goal of this first workshop was to continue the development of the Matrix, PACTE’s self-assessment tool for European municipalities to help in implementing an active city strategy. The Matrix will allow cities to gain tailored recommendations and a clearer vision of their strategy following a free online self-assessment. With a diverse mix of urban planners, physical activity experts and city representatives from Bonn (DE), Ingelmunster (BE), Gent (BE), Guimaraes (PO), Paris (FR) and Umea (SE) at the workshop, the primary aim was to assess the feedback collected on the Matrix. The Matrix utilized results of a European-wide representative survey, the first of its kind, distributed in 7 languages collecting data on local physical activity policies. 663 complete responses were received, with 60 respondents expressing their willingness to continue further with the project.

Following two days of consultations, roundtable discussions and constructive group work, meetings were held with local organisations that promote physical activity in Liverpool (sport organisations including Everton, charities, civil society organisations etc.) as well as a visit to Liverpool John Moores University's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, before heading to Everton stadium where the work of Everton in the Community was presented.

Overall, PACTE’s first workshop offered great insight into how their city assessment tool can be advanced to begin allowing local authorities from across Europe to implement their active city strategies. PACTE’s next stop will be the Active Education workshop that is to be held in Berlin next February!

Led by the Sport and Citizenship think tank, PACTE aims to sensitize municipalities, Europe-wide, on the crucial role they can play promoting Health-Enhancing Physical Activity. Being a partner in this project, ECF is involved to incorporate active transport as a way to make cities more active.

For more information visit our PACTE Project Page.