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We asked SPS contributors what the top 10 design mistakes they see in today's skateparks. Here are their answers.
Cookie-cutter skateparks presume that your community's needs can be met by a few ramps on a slab of concrete. Skateparks are much more than that.
1. Not employing expert design assistance resulting in cookie-cutter facilities that don't meet the community's growing needs.
The moist corner of an isolated parking lot with little visibilty is NOT the ideal site for a skatepark.
2. Thinking that the least controversial site for the skatepark is the best site for the skatepark.
Well-intentioned builders can make mistakes. Drainage is a mere inconvenience compared to dangerous kinks and uneven areas in high-speed areas.
3. Relying on inexperienced builders. Their well-intentioned bids often result in dangerous flaws.
Successful skateparks gather regular
users that come to form a
micro-community. Not only should
this be understood by planners but it
should be encouraged and planned for.
4. Underestimating the social value of the skatepark to its users.
A properly sized park will allow users to comfortably share the skating space without risk
of collision.
5. Underestimating the amount of total space the regular users will need to safely recreate (e.g., blind spots).
Nobody feels the burn of graffiti like the skateboarder who merely wants to skate. The problem becomes worse when the punishment falls upon the most dedicated skatepark user through park closures.
6. Not understanding that skaters also want a clean, comfortable place to skate.
When the skatepark "expert" described how great their product was, they likely left out the expensive and time-consuming top sheets that often need to be replaced.
7. Receiving "expert skatepark advice" from a salesperson or anyone else who has no intention of ever actually using the park.
It may be shallow but it's hardly for beginners. With its rapid transition, this bowl is difficult for even intermediate skaters.
8. Thinking that smaller structures are for less experienced users or that big equates to unsafe.
Some parks are unbelievably arranged in ways that actually prevent travelling from one structure to the next.
9. Lack of flow; structures relating to each other in unusable or unsafe ways.
When adequate funding and the right site come together, the result is a facility that the whole community will come to appreciate.
10. Allocating little funds for what will become the Parks' most consistently well-used facility.
Do you have your own Top Mistakes you'd like to share? Check out our Design forum.
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