Great places for sports: 21 civic sports centers, contract award rate hit 90%
In recent years, with the rise of Taiwanese people's health awareness and the increasing popularity of sports, the Sports Administration (SA) has promoted The Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program 2.0 "Enhancing the Sports for All Environment" since 2021, subsidizing the construction (renovation) of 21 civic sports centers in 18 counties and cities in Taiwan, to create high-quality sports venue and facility environment, and to plan and construct a living environment for exercising anywhere. The construction of the civic sports centers are expected to complete from 2025, providing affordable, people-friendly, community-oriented and dedicated sports spaces for the public to enjoy.
Past subsidies for county and city governments to build civil sports centers required administrative districts to have a population of more than 150,000, resulting in some areas not meeting the conditions and being unable to apply for subsidies; the application requirements for civic sports centers have been relaxed, administrative districts with to population of 70,000 or above, or administrative districts with a population density of over 800 people per square kilometer. The aim is to achieve balanced urban and rural development through the relaxation of plan conditions and take into account the sports needs of local people.
In the past two years, inflation was caused by the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic and the Russo-Ukrainian war. Thanks to the continuous efforts of the SA and county and city governments, nearly 90% of the civic sports centers have completed the project contracting work and have gradually entered the construction stage. Most of the centers are expected to open next year. It has been gradually completed and put into use. Before the completion of the civic sports centers, the SA encourages county and city governments to refer to the outsourcing operation model of civil sports centers and use the "parallel private participation promotion" method to introduce private sector funds and professional capabilities, so that the centers can be seamlessly integrated and put into operation immediately after completion, providing a brand-new indoor space that meets the sports needs of people of all ages, while also achieving the purpose of sustainable operation.
The civic sports centers feature new-style gyms, yoga or aerobics classrooms, all-age physical training grounds, multi-use courts and other sports facilities. In addition, the county and city governments also plan special items in response to the needs of local people, such as the Civic Sports Center in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City, which has a croquet court suitable for senior citizens that will be completed and opened next year. The varied sports facilities will become the first choice for local residents to exercise. It is hoped that people can participate in sports with family and friends near home, promoting a national sports atmosphere.
