The European Outdoor Cities Network supports cities and municipalities to create better conditions for people to be active outdoors close to home.
The framework and tools on this website empower the development of attractive and accessible infrastructure for sustainable outdoor sports.
Your development pathway
Every city starts from a different point. The European Outdoor Cities Network provides a structured pathway from first orientation to practical learning and European exchange.
1 · Check
Complete the Quick Check and receive immediate qualitative feedback across the four European Outdoor Cities pillars.
2 · Learn
Explore Good Practices connected to your municipality’s strengths and development opportunities, and use the public Standards to understand the framework behind the feedback.
3 · Connect
Exchange experience with other cities, access practical knowledge and stay connected to the further development of European Outdoor Cities.
Transparent European framework
The European Outdoor Cities framework organises municipal outdoor sport development into four pillars, 12 categories and 65 indicators.
The Standards are publicly available. Cities and municipalities can understand the framework behind the Quick Check before deciding whether to engage further with European Outdoor Cities.
Pillar 1
Protect natural environments and provide safe, accessible and well-managed places for outdoor sport and recreation.
Pillar 2
Understand and remove barriers so people of different ages, backgrounds and abilities can participate.
Pillar 3
Embed outdoor sport in policy, knowledge, communication, cooperation and long-term resources.
Pillar 4
Strengthen the public, private and community organisations that create and deliver outdoor opportunities.
Sundsvall, Silkeborg and Viana do Castelo helped test the framework in different municipal contexts and contributed practical experience to its development.
“A great deal of knowledge already existed across our municipality and local organisations. The process brought that knowledge together, made our strengths more visible and showed where closer cooperation can support the next stage of our development.”
Anders ErlandssonSundsvall Kommun
“Silkeborg already has a strong outdoor tradition. The framework helped us step back and look at the whole system — not only at what is working well, but also at where stronger coordination can take us further.”
John Bøgelund FrederiksenSilkeborg Kommune
“The greatest value was the conversation the process created. Departments that had not previously worked together on outdoor sport came around the same table, helping us move from separate initiatives towards a shared municipal direction.”
Ricardo RegoCity of Viana do Castelo
The three pilot cities will be recognised at EuroMeet 2026 for their contribution to developing and testing the European Outdoor Cities framework.
The European Outdoor Cities Network supports cities and municipalities that want to make outdoor sport part of everyday urban life.
An Outdoor City creates accessible, inclusive and environmentally responsible opportunities for people to be active outdoors close to home.
European Outdoor Cities combines a public Quick Check, transparent Standards, inspirational Good Practices and a growing European network.
The framework was developed and tested through the STANDOUT Erasmus+ Sport project. The European Outdoor Cities Network carries this work forward as a lasting programme hosted and administered by ENOS.
Nearby outdoor opportunities can support healthier people, more inclusive communities, stronger connections to nature and better coordinated municipal development.
Create more opportunities for residents to be active outdoors in nearby green, blue and peri-urban spaces.
Connect sport, planning, nature, mobility, health, tourism and community development through one shared framework.
Identify barriers and improve access for people with different backgrounds, abilities and levels of experience.
Discover how cities and municipalities across Europe address comparable challenges.
Use structured feedback to recognise existing strengths and choose realistic next steps.
Share experience and participate in the further development of outdoor sport in European cities.
Learn from practice
Improving outdoor sport does not mean starting from zero. Explore practical examples addressing access, infrastructure, inclusion, strategy and outdoor sport provision.
Good Practices are connected to the European Outdoor Cities pillars and help municipalities translate qualitative feedback into practical next steps.
The European Outdoor Cities Network is the participation and development space within European Outdoor Cities.
It is being established for cities and municipalities that want to exchange practical experience, work systematically with the framework and stay connected to the next stages of the programme.
Connect with cities and municipalities working on comparable challenges.
Learn from Good Practices, expert input and municipal experience from across Europe.
Use the European Outdoor Cities Standards as a shared structure for local development.
Stay connected to the development of the comprehensive assessment and future certification process.
Participation in the European Outdoor Cities Network will require ENOS membership and an additional Network contribution.
Final benefits, fees and participation conditions will be published before formal onboarding opens.
European Outdoor Cities is hosted and administered by ENOS, the European Network of Outdoor Sports.
ENOS provides the institutional and administrative home for the programme, coordinates the European Outdoor Cities Network and supports the further development of the framework together with cities, experts and partner organisations.
The framework itself was developed collaboratively through the STANDOUT Erasmus+ Sport project and tested with municipalities in different European contexts.
You do not need to commit to the European Outdoor Cities Network today. Start with the Quick Check and receive your first qualitative snapshot.
Receive updates about the European Outdoor Cities Network, new Good Practices, events and the further development of the programme.
