|
Every skatepark is the result of a successfully executed process with phases
that are remarkably consistent from one skatepark project to the next. The Skaters for Public Skateparks team represents skaters who for years
have involved themselves in these projects across the US, Canada, and Europe. If we've learned one
thing in all our years of advocacy, it's that eventually we encountered fewer and fewer surprises.
SPS co-founder Kent Dahlgren facilitates a skatepark design meeting.
Every successful skatepark advocate within SPS possesses a model of the timeline we've come to call the "Skatepark
Process." The Process describes the formula we used in the Public Skatepark Development Guide for skatepark creation in a manner that's both intuitive and
empowering. A person new to skatepark planning can quickly gain the knowledge to successfully manage a
complex project, even if it's their first!
For that reason we've created five chapters organized in chronological order within the Public Skatepark Development Guide. Our goal is to empower effective skatepark advocates and those invested in a positive skatepark result by helping them avoid expensive
trial and error.
The important important first step is creating a Vision of what a skatepark stakeholder might hope to achieve and a sense of how to achieve it. Within Vision, readers will learn how to take inventory of their situation and begin developing a powerful strategy for achieving success.
Advocacy is the second step, because
a vision without a tangible result remains a dream. Directed primarily at the skatepark advocate, it provides
assistance to those seeking to make something of their visions. Within Advocacy you will learn how to build lasting relationships with other individuals that are in a position to offer support.
One may have a terrific vision, but nothing will happen until resources are allocated to
convert the dream into reality. We discuss this critical phase in the third section, entitled
Fundraising. Here you can learn about your colleagues' creative methods for acquiring resources.
One requires just three things to get a successful skatepark:
- Land
- Resources (cash and materials, discussed in section three)
- A skilled skatepark team
To make this team effective, the fourth chapter, entitled Design, outlines how to influence the creation
of the facility through input to the designer or design team, whether it's a skatepark designer or a landscape architect, to ensure the final facility meets or exceeds the quality and athletic needs of your community.
Once the park is open and being used by the community, the fifth and final section,
Management, discusses topics from
opening-day festivities to building a sense of ownership among skatepark users and visitors.
As an organization dedicated to the philosophy of continuous improvement, we welcome your questions and/or
comments pertaining to this process, as well as recommendations you may have on how to best communicate
and empower your fellow advocates.
|
