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Skatepark Planning - Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

10 myths About Skateboarding (PDF) from Puget Sound Skatepark Association

This is a collection of resources to help you and your community get a skatepark. We'll do our best to keep this section updated with pertinent and new content.

Whether you decide to use Suburban Rails to design and build your skatepark or you pick another company, PLEASE DO NOT SELECT A PRE-FAB / MODULAR PARK!. The skaters in your community deserve more. For the same amount of money you can get a larger, more enjoyable custom built skatepark. You owe it to your community to do the research...

Click here to read more about pre-fab parks

Instead of treating skateboarders as common hoodlums, one might ask, why not simply provide legitimate skateparks in the kids' neighborhoods, just as we provide tennis courts, swimming pools, and soccer fields? -J. William Thompson (Architect) March 1998 issue of Landscape Architecture

Tony Hawk Foundation - How To Get a SkateparkIf the city where you live suddenly announces, without any prompting from local skateboarders, that it has decided to build a free public skatepark, then you are very fortunate indeed. Most communities are not so enlightened -- at least not yet, anyway. Instead, your only recourse probably will be to create your own grassroots movement that gains so much momentum the city will have no choice but to build a skatepark.

1) ORGANIZING : html / pdf
2) PLANNING: html / pdf
3) FUNDRAISING: html / pdf
4) DESIGNING: html / pdf

IISA - Skatepark Start0up Guide

Inline skating is on the rise, with over 30 million participants in 1996, a 700% increase since 1990 (source: NSGA). Most participants are recreational skaters who utilize public thoroughfares and multi-use paths in parks and the like. However, an increasing percentage of skaters require facilities, whether for stunt, hockey or speed workouts.

SPAUSA - Design, Construction, Maintenance Considerations
Here are some things to think about when constructing and operating a skatepark. Some points and suggestions are specifically for public skateparks, though they may also prove useful for privately owned skateparks.

ORDINANCES BANNING SKATING I am against banning skating. Skating is a great source of exercise in a country of overweight people. This is an affordable means of transportation for millions of youth. Skating is relatively safe and does not pollute the environment. It is the right of the citizens to use public areas.

TICKETING SKATERS Skaters should not be ticketed for skating! It is not a crime. Ticketing skaters is nothing more than harassment by the police and should not be tolerated. Many cities have forgiven all skaters tickets and stopped the police from issuing more. Police should spend their time fighting real crime not raising revenue for the city. Many police refuse to write tickets for skateboarding and have actually stepped up to help the kids get skateparks. All tickets should be fought by the skater - see our sight under tickets. No 10-12 year old deserves a warrant out for his/her arrest for skateboarding.

CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE Many cities require skaters to raise the funds to build their skatepark. The kids have been very successful but unless the city required the tennis players, swimmers, soccer players, little league, toddlers etc. to raise funds for their facilities then you have a civil rights issue.

FUND RAISING You may be able to get either COKE or PEPSI to donate funds to your park, but there is no national program. You need to contact your local bottling plant for information and in exchange offer exclusive vending machine rights. You may also be able to get your local grocery chain and other stores to donate through SCRIPT. SCRIPT is a program where supporters agree to shop at certain stores and the stores in turn donate 5%-10% of customers sales to the project. It does not cost the consumer anything. You will need to be non profit for this so you might want to do it through your schools or local churches.

Good Thrashing - A Landscape Architects view on Skatparks

Originally targeted at landscape architects this article provides a basis for the need for public skateparks, explains why they can be viable projects, and gives tips and resources on constructing them.

Consider This...

Here's some points to consider if your community is going to build a public skatepark.

-Suburban Rails will build you the BEST park for your budget.

-If your community is looking at a pre-fabbed 'skatepark", ask them to reconsider a custom designed skatepark. It's simple, pre-fabbed parks are boring... and sometimes are more expensive than a custom concrete park.

-Suburban Rails understands the values of working directly with the skaters and bikers in your community. The new park should be what the skaters and bikers want to ride. We've seen too many poorly designed parks, either the community leaders didn't listen to the skaters or, the park was designed by "landscape architects" with little or no skatepark experience.

-At Suburban Rails our designers have over 100 years of riding experience. We'll bring this expertise to your community and your new skatepark. ^^back to the top

-In closing, if you want the best park for your budget please contact us. Your bikers and skaters will thank you.

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