From underused urban space to regenerative infrastructure: how sports parks integrate activity and sport events

Sports parks offer opportunities to connect the reuse of underused urban space with everyday physical activity and sport events. This Perspective examines their regenerative potential through four illustrative cases in China: a waterfront green-space corridor in Ningbo, an industrial-heritage site in Wuhan, an expressway underspace in Ningbo, and a rooftop sports park above a rebuilt wastewater-treatment plant in Wenzhou. Drawing on site observations and publicly available project information, we interpret these cases through three connected dimensions: spatial retrofit, programmed activation, and adaptive stewardship. The cases illustrate different spatial and operating arrangements for combining land reuse, everyday recreation, and organized events. Their potential contribution to urban regeneration depends on affordable access, the compatibility of events with everyday use, and sustained maintenance and public accountability. These arrangements also raise questions about commercial pressures, uneven access, and the distribution of environmental and social benefits. We propose that sports-park policy assess land reuse alongside environmental performance, protect everyday public functions during events, and link capital investment to long-term stewardship. Further evaluation of ecological conditions and participation across social groups would clarify when these spaces contribute to inclusive and environmentally beneficial urban regeneration.