A new monitoring project has started in Leuven to map the use of public sports and movement spaces. This initiative, supported by VLAIO/PIO, is a collaboration between Sport Vlaanderen, the City of Leuven, InnoBeweegLab, Husense, and Sport Data Valley. From autumn 2026 to the end of 2027, advanced sensors will collect data on activities and usage patterns at two locations in the city.
At the Urban Sports Park in Wilsele and the Barpark and movement bench at the Philipssite, innovative radar sensors will record how visitors use the infrastructure. These sensors detect, track, and categorize movement patterns without recording images or making individuals recognizable, ensuring user privacy in compliance with GDPR.
The project aims to gather reliable data on the use of sports infrastructure, which is often lacking today. These insights will help policymakers and managers better align sports and movement offerings with residents' needs and make targeted investments.
Sports Alderman Christophe Stockman emphasizes the monitor's importance: "With the Sportparkmonitor, we gain better insight into which facilities are popular, when people use them, and where opportunities lie. This helps us make targeted choices in the future and further improve our sports and movement spaces."
