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Why This Book?
By Peter Whitley
The Public Skatepark Development Guide is the collected wisdom and experience from skatepark advocates across the nation. It is intended to help anyone who may be looking to skateparks as a solution to their community’s needs.
The author enjoys the results
of a skatepark advocate's labor.
Readers should be aware that this book will not create a skatepark for your community, nor will it supply answers to all of the challenges one may encounter during the process. This Guide does not supply specific design documents, nor does it endorse particular leaders in the skatepark industry. Instead, it is specifically tailored for inexperienced advocates and city officials who want to make informed decisions when addressing their skateboarding community’s needs.
Skateboarders are woven into the cultural fabric of every urban community in North America. While young, they are stewards of the creative force that adds diversity to our cities. Skateboarding is an essential option for a huge percentage of today’s youth; nearly a quarter of the 61-million youth in the U.S. skated this year and most of those identify themselves as “skateboarders.” Given skateboarding’s popularity it’s surprising that so many cities have perhaps one skatepark, maybe two, to meet the needs of their thousands of youth. While this need remains, the news is filled with rising obesity rates, struggles with urban sprawl, and juvenile delinquency. Skateboarding is clearly not the sole solution for these community issues, but it’s obviously what millions of kids want to be doing. We can support this healthy, positive activity by making sure that there are enough skateparks (or places to skate), and that they’re designed and built for sustainability and success.
Skateparks don’t happen on their own. They always require an energetic, committed team of advocates with members from the community, the City, and Parks department. The team requires support from the local business community and the larger population of non-skaters. Everyone must come together when it comes to skateparks, and in order for that to happen the advocates must present the skatepark vision accurately and effectively.
The skateboarder stereotype has been around for decades. This “scruffy kid” has a complete disregard for public safety and comfort as he weaves at breakneck speed through crowded sidewalks. He’s white, about 16 years old, grinds ledges as an act of defiance, treats authority and rules as a mere nuisance, is obnoxiously loud, and has little respect for the community in which he recreates. This stereotype is reinforced in skateboarding magazines, videos, and in movies where skateboarding appears. Skateboarders are punks, right?
The truth is, of course, that skateboarders are not anything like the stereotype described above. While there are certainly kids who may fit that description, skateboarders are diverse and passionate about their pastime. It requires very little money to get started in skateboarding, but proficiency requires dedication, discipline, and creativity. Yet when many people see skateboarders “in the wild” they may not see these three traits through the stereotype of the punk.
These stereotypes are encountered less frequently these days, but they’re still out there. They might come from a neighbor, a business owner, or even a city councilperson. The stereotype is the antithesis of legitimacy and will be the primary obstacle for the person who believes in skateparks.
We hope that you find this Guide an essential part of your advocacy effort. If you find topics that aren’t addressed, would just like to expand upon an idea, or have a comment, please feel free to contact us through www.skatersforpublicskateparks.org.
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