On July 1st SPS launched its first SPS-conducted skatepark research project. The goal of this research is to document the usage of skateparks in several ways to better quantify our understanding of skatepark usage. The results of this three-month pilot should help reveal the impact of certain fixed and dynamic factors on skatepark usage (skaters, bikes, other users, and spectators), such as: Weather, time of day, day of week, policy, size, material design, and site amenities.

To our best knowledge this is the first time skateparks have ever been studied in this way and the results should provide some solid insight for skatepark planners in the future. The field research will be concluded in September.

UPDATE:
The pilot was a success! With hundreds of field visits cataloged, patterns clearly emerged about the way we use skateparks. Some shortcomings were found in the study, however, and those have been fixed. The study was officially launched and we'll have solid observations in a few months.