The future of sports facilities in 2040: ITU and BUas students develop concept during hackathon in Istanbul

During the intensive hackathon, held on the ITU campus in Istanbul, student teams from a range of disciplines — including BSc Leisure Studies, Built Environment and the MBA Imagineering — worked on a shared mission: to formulate a compelling message for policymakers, project developers and professionals in the sports sector. Their message was based on the insights they had gathered over the past year as part of the European project.

The conclusion was unanimous: sport should no longer be regarded as something that takes place in a single designated location within public space. Instead, the students advocated for a decentralised model in which sport is seamlessly integrated into everyday life. Whether it’s exercising on the way to work, physical activity in schoolyards or using public spaces for recreation — sport should be made possible everywhere.

“This new vision calls for a radical rethink of how we design sport in our cities, neighbourhoods and daily lives,” said BUas student Frank Langhout. “We want to normalise sport as a part of society, not treat it as a separate activity.” It is now up to stakeholders to take the students' advice forward.

The exchange offered not only in-depth knowledge, but also a unique international experience.