The Outdoor City Strategy

Overview

Sheffield is already recognised as one of the UK’s most distinctive cities with numerous assets that underline the importance of the outdoors for the city’s identity:

• Sheffield is acknowledged as one of England’s greenest cities and the only major city in the UK to have a National Park within its boundary
• Participation rates in outdoor recreation in Sheffield are higher than the national average across a range of activities, particularly for running, walking and cycling.
• Sheffield has a very proud history of leadership in the outdoors, as one of the bases for the Kinder Mass Trespass, which led directly to the national ‘Right to Roam’.
• Sheffield was voted ‘best city to live in for countryside lovers’ by BBC Countryfile in 2014.

As the fourth biggest city in the UK, Sheffield’s outdoor offer is a key differentiator between it and other cities, and importantly, it is a distinction that cannot be replicated because it is based on the city’s natural geography and topography.

Making the most of Sheffield’s outdoor offer requires a joined up approach from organisations and individuals involved in outdoor recreation in the city. This is why a draft strategy has been developed by the newly formed Sheffield Outdoor Economy Joint Venture which consists of key partners across the city involved in outdoor recreation and physical activity.   This draft strategy sets out the priorities for the city for the next three years.

Why your views matter

We are now consulting on the draft strategy (attached below), to ensure we have captured the ambition that the city has for its outdoors. 

The public consultation will last for six weeks, from the 19^th October to midnight on the 29^th November.

As well as using Citizen Space, you can email your consultation response to CreativeSheffield@sheffield.gov.uk or post it to: 

The Outdoor City Consultation

Creative Sheffield Floor, 11 Broad Street West

11 Broad Street West

Sheffield

S1 2BQ

A final strategy will be published in March 2016.

What happens next

Sheffield is already recognised as one of the UK’s most distinctive cities with numerous assets that underline the importance of the outdoors for the city’s identity:

• Sheffield is acknowledged as one of England’s greenest cities and the only major city in the UK to have a National Park within its boundary
• Participation rates in outdoor recreation in Sheffield are higher than the national average across a range of activities, particularly for running, walking and cycling.
• Sheffield has a very proud history of leadership in the outdoors, as one of the bases for the Kinder Mass Trespass, which led directly to the national ‘Right to Roam’.
• Sheffield was voted ‘best city to live in for countryside lovers’ by BBC Countryfile in 2014.

Making the most of Sheffield’s outdoor offer requires a joined up approach from organisations and individuals involved in outdoor recreation in the city.  This is why we have been working to develop The Outdoor City Economic Strategy. 

We held a 6 week consultation period between October and November last year on a draft Strategy and having taken the consultation responses on board, we have recently finalised the Strategy, (please see the PDF download).  This document summarises the result of the consultation and the changes we made to the Strategy as a result.