Creating Multi-use Public Space Instead of Skate Parks
UPDATE: As of May 30th, LES Skate Park has Skate Art thanks to Open Road and other organizations in the city. Wooooo!
I am frustrated that the Upper East Side and East Harlem still don’t have a single decent place for local kids to skate without having to dodge baseballs and adult hockey players. There are a couple spots we’ve found in the projects of East Harlem where local kids hang out, but they are not exactly safe, nor are they accessible.
I don’t live in the other communities, so I can only speak for mine. I’m sure we’re are not alone here.
Most decent places, unused places even, have been gated off and of course every courtyard has been doctored with ugly skate stops and even wrought iron gates, so as to make the public space exclusive to hotel guests.
Embrace it, because we are not going anywhere.
New York City is not a surf town, New York City is not snowboarding / skiing town, New York City is the concrete jungle. You built this. We came and now you have to own up to what you’ve created.
A phenomenon. So… take what you invested in art installations like the orange flags of Central Park and put that into skateboarding and you will be amazed by what you’ve done. People will come and they will be impressed… and not only the skaters.
Even property owners should have an interest in this, because if you give us realistic alternatives, chances are we will abandon your "high level bust spots" and settle comfortably into new skatable hassle free public spaces.
The real problem: The city overestimates what local skaters need.
We actually do not require a lot of space! Nor a big investment.
Whenever local communities talk about providing space for skaters the bureaucrats flip out because they believe that in order to provide space, they have to build ramps and half pipes, hire staff to manage it, and pay for the insurance to cover the park. The few scantily designed skate parks are on the outskirts of
There are affordable and aesthetically appealing alternatives.
We are New York City, living in the year 2009, not California> in the 70′s.
New York City re-invented street skating (Some will criticize this, but it’s true.) It was east coast kids living in dilapidated urban neighborhoods who looked at park benches and ledges and rails and thought; I want to skate that!
NEW YORK CITY needs to embrace the flavor that the skateboarding community adds to this city because we are here and we make money for this city. Look at brands and stores that reside in SoHo and you’ll find that they are strongly influenced by our presence.
Even look at the additional commerce we bring to areas like DUMBO, where Bodegas stay in business purely because of the LES skate park’s existence. And even consider the fact that every skater has an MTA card in their pocket, because we are constant drifters on the public transportation system.
In fact, you could even consider us a perfectly green movement in the coolest, ground breaking city in the world.
Skate spots need to be relevant
Non-skateboarding entities and public parks produce "Pre-Fab Skate Parks” that are often out of touch with today’s form of skateboarding and these playground structures have only helped to keep skaters away from the very skate parks your tax dollars help pay for, Says Team Pain. "As skateboarders we view our surroundings, our architecture in a different perspective; as a possible “skate spot”. Every building, courtyard, alley, ditch and sidewalk is a potential place to skate. What is unique and new to be skated? The desire to find a new spot that is challenging and inspiring to skate, film and take photographs. Skaters gather together where marble benches, ledges, stairs, handrails and sculptural pieces exist; purely because of this creative perspective. We seek challenges that give us a sense of freedom." – Team Pain
What you think we want and what we need are two different things.
Stop trying to hoard us into small gated areas on the far west side of Manhattan and give us some simply designed open spaces in our own neighborhoods, where parents can take their kids and spend the day.
There are ways to create skateable spaces that are as much a part of the city’s aesthetic as any other public space. Team Pain presented their skateable public art at the 2009 Surf Expo in Florida this year. Their creative approach makes public art multifunctional and aesthetically pleasing.
Skateparks are usually made up of features that the intermediate to advanced skaters can really take advantage of but beginners struggle with. Imagine having a place with a couple of concrete bumps and a concave baby pool, along with creative some benches and ledges. Neighborhood places where anybody go with their kids and enjoy the time they spend with them.
Think about all of the creative ways you can make that space useful and interesting and thought provoking.
"Our aim with Skate Art and consistent mission is to keep the roots of skateboarding alive by offering elements that are unique, custom and offer challenges to any skateboarder. Skate Art is individual pieces that are specific to street skating and allows you to customize each piece with various materials, colors, patterns and even custom art work, offering an aesthetically pleasing solution for municipalities to include street skating elements into their parks system and other various uses. Our experienced team of skate park professionals would assist in the design and layout of each custom piece to create a street inspired skate park or one to several pieces to be placed within an existing skate park or public space to ensure proper skateability and pedestrian safety." – Team Pain
hi, nice article, thanks. lots more spots are going up here in nyc with this idea of skate art.
thanks guys went to les after school and enjoyed skating the stuff was alot of fun support you 100 percent