Chapter 5: Management

Achieving Compliance And/Or Stewardship
Any skatepark that meets acceptable standards of quality will quickly become one of the Parks Department’s most used facilities. Maintenance and clean-up impact will be significant, but will be minimal compared to most other facilities. Concrete skateparks in particular will yield years of incredible use, often being the Parks Department’s most used facility, yet be virtually free to maintain with the exception of waste disposal and inspections. Whatever maintenance expense the skatepark requires can be further lessened by encouraging the skaters to help keep the park clean.

Having clean-up tools available will help encourage good housekeeping.

Activating the skatepark users to exhibit healthy forms of ownership is a challenge for any skatepark manager. When one actively pursues this volunteerism, events may easily backfire or fail to gather any interest. Skateboarding culture has deep roots in anti-institutionalized behavior, so “Park Cleanup Day” and similar events may be perceived as corny.

With an average age in the mid-teens, skateboarders are usually too young for a bonafide job and the skatepark manager can take advantage of this by hiring a skatepark “host” to keep the park clean, report any problem patterns, and be an on-site source of information for other users (locations for the nearest skate shop, convenience store, restroom, etc.). Many metropolitan skateparks are exploring this mutually beneficial agreement.

The skatepark host’s duties may also encompass some on-site event planning and instructional programming. The host needn’t be on-site for the whole day—two or three hours a day during the peak times will be enough to establish a pattern of official presence without appearing invasive or distracting to the users.

On-site lockers containing a broom and a squeegee may help reduce the amount of trash that collects in the park. The locker should remain locked with keys distributed to a small number of regular park users willing to lend a hand. This will also demonstrate mutual trust and shared responsibility.

Skatepark advocates will see value in becoming stewards to those skateparks that exist in the area to demonstrate commitment to these facilities. Park managers may want to contact their local skatepark advocates, and vice versa, to work out an agreement. Many Parks Departments maintain volunteer programs, and a skatepark group can easily be accommodated using these channels.