Why a Skatepark?
Skateparks provide significant benefits to the community, as researched and documented by several civic entities over the past decades, including:
Are often the most utilized parts of a park system, remaining active and busy throughout the day and night.
Attract a variety of age ranges and types of wheeled sports, including skateboards, scooters, rollerskates, rollerblades, and BMX bicycles.
Function as highly accessible amenities for people across the income spectrum, with a low barrier of entry for the sport.
Tend to be diverse places where people build community through encouragement and supportive interaction.
Are a major amenity for attracting tech and other creative workers and their families.
Provide a safe place for kids and adults by keeping them from skating in areas not approved for wheeled sports.
Drive economic activity as skaters travel to visit a new or unique park.
“Activities you might not expect—like skateboarding—might be just what teens and adolescents need. I think that is a group we see as being a little more on the risky side, but instead of being on the risky side, they were actually protected from those behaviors.”
— Dr. Penny Gordon-Larsen., UNC School of Public Health
“In too many places skateboarders get the wrong message from local authorities who limit or outlaw skateboarding and ignore its inherent benefits. Skateparks are the solution. Every skatepark supports hundreds of kids that might otherwise have nowhere to go.
—The Skatepark Project
Latest Updates: Why Skateparks Are Great
