Good skateparks adhere to a specific list of criteria. There is very little guess-work to creating a good park, yet many communities plan for failure...which is exactly what they get. Here are our recommendations for a healthy, successful skatepark.
1. Quality Design and ConstructionAbove-ground, wooden or steel ramps don't make a skatepark. Wooden ramps don't continue to challenge skaters after they've mastered that obstacle and, as a result, they either leave the facility in search of greater challenges or lose respect for the facility.
A professionally designed and constructed skatepark should be concrete for its low maintenance costs and design flexibility. A concrete facility also tells the skateboarding community that its needs are being taken seriously; that their interest in skateboarding isn't just a "passing fad." A concrete skatepark can offer scaleable challenges to suit each user's skill level.
Although skateparks don't generate much noise, concrete skateparks are much quieter than wooden, above-ground ramps.
2. Great SiteGreat skateparks that enjoy community acceptance are always close to the community that they serve. Many people believe that skateparks should be located in industrial or commercial areas, and sometimes this may be true. However, the healthiest parks are in residential neighborhoods with lots of visibility to passing pedestrians.
3. AmenitiesSkaters, like any athletes, need basic services. Seating, access to nearby shade, water, and restrooms all are critical for a successful skatepark. We often see skateparks thrown together with none of these requirements met and they suffer for it...which is no fault of the skaters or the skatepark, but rather of the planners. We can do this right!
4. StewardshipAll the greatest skateparks have a skater community that calls it home. These are your park stewards that will care for and monitor the facility. A skatepark designed by qualified professionals will keep these stewards involved with the park and less-experienced skaters will look up to the stewards and learn to take care of the park. As experienced, mature skaters who have collectively visited hundreds of skateparks across the nation and abroad, we know this phenomenon happens frequently.
Many skatepark opponents never visit any skateparks or have only seen those designed without these basic functions. Next time you see a skatepark, ask yourself if it is concrete, well sited with contact with the community (especially pedestrians), and has proper amenities and human services available. If so, you'll certainly see an active skate community that stewards the park...and that park will be healthy and loved by the community as a whole.
