10 tips for designing skate plazas

Parks & Recreation, August, 2005

Skaters for Public Skateparks met in May for its annual summit. In addition to about 60 people from across the nation in attendance, Tony Hawk and Miki Vuckovich from the Tony Hawk Foundation made presentations about their foundation. Much was discussed, including trends in skatepark design, prefabricated ramps and what small communities can do to provide skateparks to their residents on a small budget.

For more information on the discussion, or to download useful tools for planning your next skatepark, visit www.skatersforpublicskate parks.org/forum.

1. Leave extra pushing room between features. Too much space between things is better than not enough.

2. Leave room for "freestyle." Pushing is okay. Flat is good.

3. Use different kinds of materials and textures to create a diverse skateboarding experience.

4. Factor for the precise constraints of skateboarding. Expansion joints, drainage grates and debris are all dangerous hazards for a skateboarder.

5. Use fillet edges with a 4-mm radius or smaller on all leading edges in a street area.

6. Space and position the obstacles in a way that lets skaters travel through the park as they wish.

7. Allow for enough space between structures that skaters won't be running into each other.

8. Include a ledge and a flat rail that are easily approached from either direction.

9. Don't assume a "street" park means a "beginner" park. In other words, don't be afraid to include larger features such as 10-plus stairs.

10. Don't underestimate the amount of speed a skater may need to hit a particular obstacle.