LAUSR

ABSTRACT Innovation in sport and leisure activities have recently become a popular subject of scholarly attention. The present article contributes to the academic exploration of the diversity of innovation in leisure by addressing how innovation, leisure and sport can be integrated in urban planning. We do so by using a Norwegian urban development project triggered by a critical juncture as an empirical case. In 2012, the Norwegian parliament made a resolution to relocate the national air force base located in Bodø. A result of this resolution was the withdrawal of the military from the city, implying extensive loss of jobs connected to the operation of the air force base. The resolution therefore led to a crisis state that became the catalyst for a substantive urban development project – The “Smart Bodø” initiative. In this paper we examine five examples from the “Smart Bodø” initiative that can be viewed as socially innovative approaches to sport and leisure in the smart city. Separately and collectively, the empirical examples demonstrate how technology, leisure, sport and innovation can be interlinked in urban planning and contribute to quality of life for citizens.