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How might we restore vibrancy in cities and regions facing economic decline? Read the challenge brief

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Scenes from China: social healthy spaces

In China, almost all public parks and neighborhoods offer outdoors free gym equipment, which have led to a continuously active lifestyle, especially for the elderly.
One of the most striking things about the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Qingdao, that I noticed in the past 7 months that I've lived in China are the number of the elderly - even in their 70's and 80's - who are active: strolling, playing chess on a street corner, and most often, using the free exercise equipment in the neighborhood parks.  

China's parks and neighborhoods always have two features: a playground and a number of self-sustaining exercise equipment - typically treadmills, elliptical machines, and a few stretching chairs.  

These equipment are a brilliant free way to promote health and an active outdoors community. What I've noticed is that often, the elderly also start forming other social activities - night-time dancing, group tae-chi exercises, chatting while eating snacks - around these spaces.  

Seeing the elderly enjoying these spaces speaks directly to the vibrancy of a city to me.  
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Darby Foreman

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December 07, 2011, 08:23PM
i also was struck by the popularity of outdoor equipment when travelling in china. While I myself could not imagine walking to a park to walk on a treadmill instead of walking through the park itself, it does seem like a great way to intensify use of pocket parks -- in places where there isn't really space to take a decent stroll through "nature".
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Vincent Cheng

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November 28, 2011, 09:18PM
Hi Jenny, the outdoor public exercise equipment, and its popular use by the elderly, was one of the things that struck me while living in China as well =).

Briefly commented on this on another related inspiration about outdoor public exercise equipment in Tel Aviv ( http://www.openideo.com/open/vibrant-cities/inspiration/health-and-fitness-in-tel-aviv/#c-16089b2cbf884daa09cce2ca02de904c ) . Glad you posted as a separate inspiration.

Also, just thought I'd share a video I linked to in that comment to give people a live action view of your inspiration: http://youtu.be/R6SSbIPZrxs . You could attach it to your concept by using the "Update Concept" feature, if you'd like.
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Jenny Jin's reply to Darby Foreman's comment

Jenny Jin

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November 28, 2011, 10:28PM
Niice! Thanks Vincent - I'm so glad you pointed me to the video - that definitely shows more details of how the community are using the equipment - and in the wintertime no less. :)
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Meena Kadri's reply to Darby Foreman's comment

Meena Kadri

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November 28, 2011, 11:18PM
Great collaboration, guys!
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Anne-Laure Fayard's reply to Darby Foreman's comment

Anne-Laure Fayard

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December 04, 2011, 05:54PM
Hi Jenny and Vincent, I did not have the chance to live in China but traveling in Yunnan a couple of years ago, I also noticed how lively the parks were in the morning, with a lot of people, particularly elderly people exercising. There were no equipment though. Either groups of people doing it informally, or sometimes a stage with some music and instructors. I noticed something similar in the parks in Hanoi. Even in Singapore (where I lived for a few years), you will often see elderly people exercising in the parks in the morning...

I always felt this inspiring and I always loved the feeling of liveliness that you get by seeing all these people active in the morning.

Reading Jenny's inspiration, I find the association playground and machines to exercise (used by grown ups and elderly) also a great way to mix generations.

as for the comments on the winter time, I went to Kunming and Hanoi, each time in December... :-)
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