Public spaces allow youths to experiment with new urban activities such as hip-hop dancing, skateboarding, parkour, freestyle soccer etc. These activities are sometimes called “street disciplines” in Hanoi.

For their practitioners, Hanoi’s “street disciplines” are more than physical activities, they come with a distinct perspective on life centred on fun, independence, self-realization, and living in the present moment.

Youths talked about:

    “freedom” (tự do) and “ease” (thoải mái)

    living their lives as ‘art’ (nghệ thuật) (non-competitive, self-motivated and self-directed existences that may not fit into existing models)

    having a “bụi bặm lifestyle” (a nonchalant way of life, characterized by freedom, carefreeness, and insubordination)

Youths emphasize the numerous benefits they derive from practicing a lifestyle sport:

    A more active and healthier lifestyle

   Peer support (studying together, helping each other to find jobs, quitting smoking, and staying away from drugs)

    Autonomous development

“Street disciplines” have yet to gain acceptance in Hanoi. These activities do not fit in with the more regulated activities which authorities, older users, and parents expect youths to engage in. There is also a perception that “street disciplines” are alien to the Vietnamese culture, making the public and officials reluctant to let them develop in the capital city’s public spaces.