Chapter 4: Design

Educating a city on the benefits of a new skatepark can be an enormous and often complicated task. The procesnes requires research, organization, and enthusiasm. In spite of having those qualities in abundance, the project can become derailed by opponents and circumstance more easily than anyone would like to admit.

Skatepark design is (and should remain)
the domain of experienced professionals.

The process of getting your new skatepark starts with a small number of dedicated individuals. This core group is probably composed of local skateboarders, though it could also include parents, local business owners, or government officials. At first, these advocates will spend time getting familiar with each other’s personal or professional talents and a delegation of responsibility will occur. For example, one member may have a talent for persuasive writing, while another enjoys public speaking. Over time, people will gravitate towards their interests and your team will emerge. Even those without a clear applicable skill or specific interest can be useful at certain stages of the process.

The group’s first challenge will be to raise awareness and gain the attention of influential people in their community. This task will probably focus on the City Council and the local community. With perseverance, the group should be having meetings with city officials and organizing events or programs to raise awareness with the public within a few short months.

By this time the group dynamic should be comfortable and effective with everyone at ease about contributing to the tasks at hand. City officials and employees should know of the group’s existence through direct contact and via second sources. For example, if the group sponsors a “Learn to Skate” day at the local park, any organizations or government officials you don’t contact directly should hear about the event in their meetings and from the newspaper. Meetings with city officials will turn their focus from establishing the group’s expertise in the area of skateparks to specific programs for raising awareness, finding a site, and researching funds.

Procuring a site and beginning the fund-raising process are the two largest challenges the group will face. The city may be very cooperative, or aggravatingly indifferent. Where one city has the perfect spot and is prepared to apply for grants, another may be noncommittal and slow to identify funds. In either case, it’s up to the group to continue to show initiative and be ready with answers.

When a site is established and a fund-raising program is underway, the group and the city officials involved with the project will begin identifying what kind of park should be built. This is the sweetest part of the project, and your group may suddenly be overwhelmed with newcomers looking to become involved. The group and city will need to tread carefully from here to insure the skatepark is as successful as it should be. For example, if the city already has an unsuccessful skatepark, that will inform the purpose (and design) of the new park. By this point in the process everyone involved should have a very clear idea of the goals and purpose of the park, whether it’s a large “destination” park or a small park to meet the needs of the immediate neighborhood.

Once funding is underway and the site is officially accepted, the city will take the lead in identifying appropriate vendors for the job. In general, city projects involving any degree of architectural design require a specific process for selecting a vendor. The project is described to qualified vendors, and those vendors, if interested, submit a bid for the job. The lowest bidder is awarded the job. Simple.

By this point, fund-raising should be wrapping up for the skatepark itself, though it may continue for park amenities like benches, water, restrooms, and adjacent landscaping. The group’s work is almost done.

Sometime after a design firm is awarded the project, there will usually be a series of presentations by the designer that indicate a proposal for the skatepark. This is an exciting part of the process for everyone as it all begins to take shape. When a final design is agreed upon by all involved parties, the design firm will get started assembling the appropriate resources to get started.

Barring a rejected grant or sudden change of heart by an essential entity, the skatepark is a done deal. The only thing left to do is plan for the ground-breaking ceremony and start blocking out your schedule so you can skate.

TIMELINE

1. Skatepark advocacy group is established
2. Group raises awareness with city and community
3. Site is identified
4. Funds are procured
5. Design is awarded
6. Skatepark concept is approved
7. Construction begins
8. Skatepark opens!

This chapter presents a vast area of concern and is easily the most important area of this book. Skatepark design is a vague term that for most people will conjure ideas about the shapes and curves in a skating area. While that is certainly an aspect of skatepark design, it is by no means close to the design concerns that will face the person with a vested interested in the skatepark. This chapter is presented in two sections. The first, Siting, reveals how to best locate the skatepark in a community. The second, Design, covers the physical principles that make skateparks successful.