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of showing responsibility when it comes to spending and investing public funds. We also try to influence the destination given to the corporate social responsibility budgets of private sector companies so that they are consist with the municipal policy.
Phase 1 • A study of the habits of the population was carried out jointly with the National Directorate for Sport and the National Statistical Institute. • Working committees were established in co-ordination with the Pan-American Health Organization (PHO) with the participation of numerous public and private agents, from Ministries to private companies. • Based on these conversations, the path to be followed was defined.
Phase 2 • We redirected the investment towards other parts of the city. • We extended the social projection of the pedagogical proposal and obtained more funds through sponsors. • The type of facilities necessary was defined for the installation of aerobic circuits, health tracks or fixed exercise stations in parks. • The pertinent actions were co-ordinated to start up physical activities where there were ODH (obese, diabetic and hypertensive) groups. • An asthma and physical activity action group was installed in an arrangement with the Hospital Pereira Rossell which provides care for children. • We started commercial negotiations for business sponsorship (aerobic circuits, for example). • Training courses were imparted to professionals in the public and private sectors.
Phase 3 • We raised awareness within the Municipality about this
CITY, SPORT AND EDUCATION 2010
matter through the strategy of the Sporting Infrastructure Master Plan. • We increased the number of polyclinics covered from 2 to 8. • The installation of the aerobic circuits and gymnastic or free sport facilities in the city’s parks was authorized. • We participated actively in the design of urban intervention strategies with the Urban Maintenance Section and the Comprehensive Plan on Irregular Settlements (PIAI). • New cycle paths were installed in the city.
Phase 4 • In 2008 the Sporting Infrastructure Master Plan was launched and the Parks project was reinforced during the summer season. • This is the year when the investments are budgeted and marketed through sponsors. • Intensive work is carried out in the framework of the Participative Budget with the community. • At the end of 2009 we are processing the data of a new survey of habits to compare the results with the data obtained in 2005.
Context of application of this project Montevideo has a population of 1.3 million people, as the capital of the country, while the entire population of Uruguay is 3.3 million inhabitants. A worsened socio-economic situation, as a result of the neo-liberal economic policies applied in the last 20 years have left a vast belt of poverty on the outskirts of the city, where a number of irregular settlements have grown up, leaving almost a third of the population under the poverty threshold after the crisis of 2002. Based on this analysis, our services were aimed at de-concentrating actions, moving gradually away form the coast (the area with a better economic level and better services), striving to encompass the green areas of the city