Sports and playgrounds should be an integral part of residential neighborhoods as one of the main factors increasing people’s quality of life and longevity, Ilgar Isbatov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan, said during the special session titled “Cities as Places for Play and Sport” held within the framework of WUF13, APA-Economics reports.
According to him, in modern urban planning, people prefer to work in places close to where they live: “Therefore, during the planning of residential areas, sports infrastructure should also be taken into account alongside office buildings, commercial facilities, transport, schools and healthcare institutions.”
Ilgar Isbatov stated that sports and playgrounds shape people’s lifestyles, increase satisfaction and serve to promote healthy living.
He noted that depending on the size of residential neighborhoods, various sports facilities should be envisaged. Open sports grounds and fitness zones should be created in small neighborhoods, while indoor sports halls and large sports facilities should be established in larger residential areas.
The deputy chairman of the committee stressed that this approach should be reflected in urban planning regulatory documents and systematically applied in the planning of residential areas.
