Ocio deportivo en los waterfronts de Bilbao y Barcelona. Un estudio comparativo

This study seeks to understand the role of sport leisure in the social construction of regenerated public spaces on coast fronts or urban riverbanks of Bilbao and Barcelona. To do this, first it performed an analysis of sports uses hosted in the waterfronts and the processes of place appropriation that underlie such uses. Then, a profile scan is performed on people doing sport (waterfront users), in order to consider the contribution of sport leisure in these spaces to "the right to the city". The study is based on a mixed methodology combining non-participatory observation and a brief survey administered in the waterfronts of both cities. The results confirm that there is a bidirectional relationship between regenerated urban public spaces and leisure styles of citizens. While it is true that the waterfronts act as tractors of sports practices, it is also true that these practices contribute to the social transformation of the urban environment through processes of appropriation that give a new meaning to its value and promote the exchange of experiences that contribute to the social development of cities.