First downtown parkour park opens in Stuttgart

The training track was developed with the local Parkour Association, in an effort to promote sports in public spaces

On 3 April, local authorities in Stuttgart inaugurated the city’s first downtown parkour facility, near the outer ring of Marienplatz. Developed with the help of the Stuttgart Parkour Association, it offers trainees a varied and complex course that would test their endurance, balance and coordination.

According to an official statement, the course is suitable for both beginners and more experienced users. It consists of 40 concrete elements with a variety of ledges and jumping points for full-body training including strength and coordination.

Integrating sport into urban design

The parkour facility at Marienplatz was funded through the city’s Masterplan für urbane Bewegungsräumewith (Masterplan for Urban Sports). The fund is part of Stuttgart to incorporate innovative ideas for creating more active public spaces.

The new parkour track allows practitioners to combine different forms of movement such as climbing, jumping and running. The key to mastering the course is a sequence of fluid and controlled movements which can complete it efficiently and effortlessly as possible.

The whole course was developed with the expert touch of the Stuttgart Parkour Association, who made sure that the park’s sequence could be completed correctly. The result is an active urban space that promotes exercise and offers new training opportunities.

Furthermore, city officials explained that the Association offer free parkour lessons for beginners, open to everyone aged 14 and over. The classes are held every second Saturday of the month from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the university campus in Vaihingen, S‐Bahn station Universität. This initiative is expected to help spread the practice to more residents.