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Wednesday, 17 December 2008 |
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2008 was a big year for Skaters for Public Skateparks. Across the nation skateparks are being built in record numbers as communities realize the long-term economic and social value of these facilities and SPS had an instrumental role in many of them through its network of regional advocates, presence at trade conventions, and printed and online literature.
The year also saw some challenges as shrinking municipal budgets continue to strain upcoming plans for capital improvements. Although in the scope of most Parks projects a new skateboarding facility is relatively inexpensive to create and maintain, budgetary cuts are making even humble skatepark projects more difficult to justify. Advocacy and education are more important than ever to ensure that communities get what they really need: A sustainable, captivating skateboarding facility.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 17 December 2008 )
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Read more... [2008 SPS Annual Recap]
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Sunday, 07 December 2008 |
New Oslo Opera was inspired by and intended for skateboarding.
Skaters have always been more sensitive to architectural form than your
average city-dweller. Finally it appears that architects are picking up
on skaters' desires and creating forms that are intentionally
interactive. It has been no secret to urban planners that successful
public spaces require public participation, and few groups are more
participatory than skateboarders. Architects are learning that by
creating forms that attract skaters they can immediately activate a
space like never before. Wired Magazine recently covered this change of
thinking in their December issue which you can read online here:
Wired Magazine: New Oslo Opera House Is Really a Stealth Skatepark
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Saturday, 18 October 2008 |
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Nederland's
Nathan Lazarus Skatepark is on the verge of opening, after five years
of effort. I've attempted to distill some
of what we learned through the advocacy process in hopes that others
can learn from our successes and from our mistakes. Our experience is
probably most applicable to small communities (Nederland's population
is around 1,500).
Nederland's skateboarders worked hard to stay in the community's eye. Seasoned advocates catalog their participation whenever they local teens are engaged in the project.
Beginnings
Nederland
can be a great place to live, but let’s face it; if you’re
a teen, possibilities for fair-weather leisure time activity are
pretty limited. Let’s see, there’s video games, hanging
out, video games, hanging out …
In
November of 2003, a group of Teens and older supporters began meeting
under the guidance of the staff of a local non-profit organization
TEENS, Inc., to do something about this situation; their goal was the
construction of a free public skatepark in Nederland.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 18 October 2008 )
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Read more... [The Nederland Story]
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