Chapter 4: Design

1. Access

If the intended users, skateboarders, cannot get to the skatepark then it is unlikely that they will use it. Distance is certainly a major factor, but proximity to public transit and arterials should also be considered. An accessible site will allow the users to reach and navigate the area freely. Many skateboarders will reach the facility on foot, or skating, which present some special needs. Skateparks next to busy arterials, for example, may appear very accessible in a vehicular sense until you consider dozens of kids skating to the park after school … suddenly it seems a bit daunting. Access should be comfortable and inviting, not constrained, delicate, or dangerous.

Skateparks should have the same degree
of access as any public facility. While
parking is not a high priority (as many
users will simply skate to the park),
adjacent pedestrian access is key.

Regional skateparks, or those intended to attract users from a large area, should be placed where traffic patterns won’t be disturbed. Although most skatepark visitors will be from the immediate area and rely upon either their boards or public transportation, a significant portion will drive to the facility from nearby areas on a regular basis.

The regional skatepark site should be close enough to those services required by any athlete, such as a store for refreshments or nourishment, public transit, and resi-dential areas where the skaters may live.

Access can be measured foremost through pedestrian activity and traffic data. These statistics may be available through local public agencies or collected independently.