There are a fair amount of cities and towns around the country, that along with building recreation centers, community pools, amphitheaters and ball fields, have built skateparks. Often these skateparks are proposed with all of the other options a community can choose to fund; but it is not uncommon to find that a community has to pick and choose based on finances or space.
Skateparks are usually subject to harsh and often unfounded criticism based on stereotypes that may or may not be true and can ultimately lead to a skatepark being unfairly passed over as an option. At Kinetic Shift, a few of us have skated in the past and feel that it is better to have our kids out actively skating than to sit in front of the TV playing video games all day. A community park allows our kids to have a safe place, away from our streets and business staircases, to skateboard and ultimately get some exercise.
If you are a skater or a parent of a skater you may not know where to start the process. The Skaters for Public Skateparks (SPS) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that has been dedicated to helping create skateparks around the world since 2004. The SPS has a board of directors made up of seven members from around the skateboarding industry and community – most with 20 or more years in the sport. The SPS’s website, www.skatepark.org, is crammed full of information to help guide you through the process; plus it has a plethora of tools, samples RFPs, photos and information at your fingertips.
This website is one of the best tools on the web to guide you through the process from planning, funding, building and finally management. It even helps with the process of the ‘public meetings’, advocacy and the whole host of questions that you might receive in the process. The website also has an online store where a copy of the 2nd edition Public Skatepark Development Guide can be purchased.
If you are thinking of proposing a skatepark to your community leaders for consideration, your first step might be to roll on over to www.skatepark.org for guidance from those who have already skated through the process.