Reutilizing Urban Idle Industrial Spaces for Sports and Leisure: Experiences From Northeast China

ABSTRACT As cities worldwide transition from industrial to post‐industrial development, the reuse of idle industrial spaces has become a critical strategy for promoting sustainable urban development. Northeast China, once the nation's flagship heavy industrial base, now contends with a combination of harsh climates, accelerated deindustrialization, and protracted urban renewal. This study examines how idle industrial sites in the region have been redeveloped into venues for sports and leisure, drawing on extensive fieldwork and a large‐scale survey ( n = 584) to assess public demand, user satisfaction, and transformation outcomes. The findings reveal strong public support for industrial‐to‐sports‐and‐leisure conversions, with particular emphasis on safety, accessibility, and multifunctional use. However, the analysis also highlights clear gaps between supply and demand, limitations in facility provision, and shortcomings in efforts to rebuild cultural identity. Using concepts from spatial justice, post‐industrial landscape renewal, multifunctional adaptive design, and participatory governance, the study proposes targeted policy and planning recommendations. The case of Northeast China offers a pragmatic, low‐cost, and adaptable model of post‐industrial spatial transformation, particularly suited for other developing regions facing similar transitional pressures.