Formula One to formula run

Shanghai shapes up

As the host city of many major international sports events, Shanghai has been spending big on the construction, reuse and upgrade of stadia.

According to the Shanghai Fitness Report, a total of 770 million yuan (about $116 million) was spent on developing fitness programs in the city last year. It now boasts 11,869 fitness spots, 446 public courts and 507 walking tracks.

One particular new innovation is proving particularly popular with the city's fitness-focused population-"smart" basketball courts, which can be booked in much the same manner as bicycle-sharing systems.

"This is very convenient for every basketball lover in the city," said Yu Biao, director of Shanghai Jing'an District Sports Bureau.

"Through the new system, we can monitor the courts all the time online and manage their use more effectively."

The only way to unlock the front door of a smart court is to book online through a smartphone. Users can see the number of players on each court on their phone and decide if they want to join in or try to book a different one.

The fee－five to eight yuan per hour for each player－is relatively cheap compared to renting traditional courts in the city. The smart courts also feature closed-circuit TV cameras in each corner, allowing online operators to monitor the activity, control the lights and oversee safety.

Shanghai's fitness push forms part of the National Fitness Program for 2016-20, aimed at encouraging 700 million Chinese to take part in physical exercise at lease once a week.

Over the course of the program, total expenditure on sports at all levels is projected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan ($226 billion).

Contact the writer at shifutian@chinadaily.com.cn