On June 26, 2024, a public self-referral on sports facilities and urban development was held by the Committee on Housing, Urban Development, Construction and Local Authorities in the German Bundestag with bdla participation. Appointed by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Ralf Maier, owner of maier landschaftsarchitektur Köln, spoke as an expert on behalf of the profession. In addition, representatives of the International Association of Sports and Leisure Facilities, the German Association of Cities and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) were heard by the parliamentarians.

In his opening statement, Ralf Maier emphasized the need to create high-quality, multifunctional sports facilities and to modernize sports and leisure facilities in a climate-friendly way - for example by taking into account the sponge city concept or the use of resource-saving and climate-neutral materials. It is also important to create broad socio-political acceptance of open spaces for non-club and new types of sports as well as temporary areas used for sports activities. The coronavirus pandemic has shown how important open spaces are for physical and mental health. More outdoor sports opportunities should therefore be created, among other things. He also called for sufficient funding through low-bureaucracy funding programs coordinated between the federal, state and local governments.

The federal program "Renovation of municipal facilities in the areas of sport, youth and culture" for cities and municipalities, which has been established since 2015, is a step in the right direction, but must ensure that the new construction and renovation of sports facilities is more demand- and needs-oriented than before. In addition, with regard to the establishment of sports parks in commercial and industrial areas for interim use, the funding horizon should be more realistic, i.e. less than ten years.

The experts generally advocated the further recognition of sports and exercise facilities as an important socio-political cross-cutting issue between the individual political departments. The political debate that has now been initiated should be actively sought and consolidated with the associations present.

The bdla is currently in the process of establishing its own working group on sports facilities and exercise areas. Anyone interested can contact Thomas Haas at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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