| Make skateboard parks safe, social and secure |
| SOURCE : The Allentown Morning Call DATE : August 12, 2007 BYLINE : Anthony Bracali, AIA |
The following piece was published in the Another View section of the Morning Call. It was in response to a
cover story in the paper highlighting the failure of Lehigh Valley Skatepark projects.
Cities in the Lehigh Valley are facing a challenge similar to many East Coast communities as they consider
how to appropriately address the need for places to skateboard. On the West Coast, skateboarding's
popularity experienced dramatic growth in the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, even smaller communities have
more than one skatepark. On the East Coast, the popularity of skateboarding is still growing and the lack of
adequate facilities is a problem. It is complicated by a lack of knowledge and experience of the
best-intentioned politicians and community leaders. Skateboarders deserve a place to socialize and be active,
and not just a fenced parking lot behind a school.
Philadelphia's LOVE Park is often cited as the place that changed the face of skateboarding history. LOVE
Park was created in the 1950s as a one-block public plaza adjacent to city hall. Skateboarders entered this
space in the early 1980s and used its features to define a new style of skating -- street style. Street style
contrasts with skating in the West Coast parks, many of which were designed as ''flow'' or ''transition'' style;
essentially empty swimming pools, with large, irregularly shaped and naturally flowing banks. Street-style
skating grew in popularity and injected under-utilized downtown public spaces with a new activity.
In 2003, my architectural firm won a commission to design a new public space for skateboarding on the Ben
Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Involving skateboarders in the design and planning of our project was
certainly a key in making it a success. However, there are additional, critical elements that tend to be ignored,
minimized or overlooked when decisions about skateparks are being made:
Skateboarding is a social culture: Teenagers in particular need more than just a place to skateboard. They
are looking for a place to meet with friends and talk about music, video-games and sports. Increasingly,
outdoor space and public areas are privatized in a manner that discourages teens from gathering. They are
looking for a physical place that welcomes them in our communities.
Create a public park that can be skated: Most skateparks are ugly. They have giant fences around them; are
made of one material; have no shade, trees or landscaping around them and often don't even have a place to
sit. A central issue is that the typical skatepark budget ranges from between $15 to $30 per square foot, a very
meager amount in the world of design and construction. Skateboarders can share space with other park
users, in particular when skating street style elements. Cities should create places to skateboard with
high-quality, durable materials and provide seating, landscaping, trees and shade. This certainly takes more
than a skatepark budget to accomplish, but the result will be a longer-lasting project that is better received by
the community.
Don't choose a hidden site: Skateparks are subject to vandalism when they are built in the wrong place. Sites
for skateparks should be selected because they are visible in the community. This has a dual benefit. It
makes skateboarders feel they are welcome and it makes it easy for others to see what is happening in the
skatepark. Even better, the skatepark invites use by people other than skateboarders.
Check the stats on injuries: There is a perception that skateboarding is ''extreme'' and dangerous. Statistics
support that skateboarding results in fewer injuries than baseball. Street-style skateparks mimic the terrain of
cities and are lower impact, site-oriented places that do not involve big jumps or giant ramps. The areas of
LOVE Park that were frequented by skateboarders were no more than 16 inches high.
The issue of skatepark design goes far beyond a child on a skateboard. Ultimately, it is about providing safe,
secure, well-constructed places that people who skateboard can enjoy. These places need to be seen by the
community at large as important amenities. Don't let your image of a skatepark be fueled by the X-Games you
see on TV. Don't let your impression be that only a group of punk kids will use the skatepark. Both of these are
common misconceptions. I would encourage Lehigh Valley residents, elected officials and community
leaders to do their research when it comes to providing places to skateboard and to make choices that are
long-lasting and create positive amenities for everyone to enjoy.
Anthony Bracali, an Allentown native, is a principal with Friday Architects/Planners Inc. in Philadelphia.
cover story in the paper highlighting the failure of Lehigh Valley Skatepark projects.
Cities in the Lehigh Valley are facing a challenge similar to many East Coast communities as they consider
how to appropriately address the need for places to skateboard. On the West Coast, skateboarding's
popularity experienced dramatic growth in the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, even smaller communities have
more than one skatepark. On the East Coast, the popularity of skateboarding is still growing and the lack of
adequate facilities is a problem. It is complicated by a lack of knowledge and experience of the
best-intentioned politicians and community leaders. Skateboarders deserve a place to socialize and be active,
and not just a fenced parking lot behind a school.
Philadelphia's LOVE Park is often cited as the place that changed the face of skateboarding history. LOVE
Park was created in the 1950s as a one-block public plaza adjacent to city hall. Skateboarders entered this
space in the early 1980s and used its features to define a new style of skating -- street style. Street style
contrasts with skating in the West Coast parks, many of which were designed as ''flow'' or ''transition'' style;
essentially empty swimming pools, with large, irregularly shaped and naturally flowing banks. Street-style
skating grew in popularity and injected under-utilized downtown public spaces with a new activity.
In 2003, my architectural firm won a commission to design a new public space for skateboarding on the Ben
Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Involving skateboarders in the design and planning of our project was
certainly a key in making it a success. However, there are additional, critical elements that tend to be ignored,
minimized or overlooked when decisions about skateparks are being made:
Skateboarding is a social culture: Teenagers in particular need more than just a place to skateboard. They
are looking for a place to meet with friends and talk about music, video-games and sports. Increasingly,
outdoor space and public areas are privatized in a manner that discourages teens from gathering. They are
looking for a physical place that welcomes them in our communities.
Create a public park that can be skated: Most skateparks are ugly. They have giant fences around them; are
made of one material; have no shade, trees or landscaping around them and often don't even have a place to
sit. A central issue is that the typical skatepark budget ranges from between $15 to $30 per square foot, a very
meager amount in the world of design and construction. Skateboarders can share space with other park
users, in particular when skating street style elements. Cities should create places to skateboard with
high-quality, durable materials and provide seating, landscaping, trees and shade. This certainly takes more
than a skatepark budget to accomplish, but the result will be a longer-lasting project that is better received by
the community.
Don't choose a hidden site: Skateparks are subject to vandalism when they are built in the wrong place. Sites
for skateparks should be selected because they are visible in the community. This has a dual benefit. It
makes skateboarders feel they are welcome and it makes it easy for others to see what is happening in the
skatepark. Even better, the skatepark invites use by people other than skateboarders.
Check the stats on injuries: There is a perception that skateboarding is ''extreme'' and dangerous. Statistics
support that skateboarding results in fewer injuries than baseball. Street-style skateparks mimic the terrain of
cities and are lower impact, site-oriented places that do not involve big jumps or giant ramps. The areas of
LOVE Park that were frequented by skateboarders were no more than 16 inches high.
The issue of skatepark design goes far beyond a child on a skateboard. Ultimately, it is about providing safe,
secure, well-constructed places that people who skateboard can enjoy. These places need to be seen by the
community at large as important amenities. Don't let your image of a skatepark be fueled by the X-Games you
see on TV. Don't let your impression be that only a group of punk kids will use the skatepark. Both of these are
common misconceptions. I would encourage Lehigh Valley residents, elected officials and community
leaders to do their research when it comes to providing places to skateboard and to make choices that are
long-lasting and create positive amenities for everyone to enjoy.
Anthony Bracali, an Allentown native, is a principal with Friday Architects/Planners Inc. in Philadelphia.
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