Playground Guide - 2016 - 14

Skateparks: An Adaptive
Reuse Solution
By Mike McIntyre and Kanten Russell

A

s many in the park and recreation business already
know, skateboarding is gaining steam across the
country as a growing alternative for kids who aren't necessarily interested in organized sports. But, thanks to
its many decades of operating on the fringes of traditional
recreational activities, skateboarding is often overlooked in
community budgets in favor of more conventional facilities.
Skateparks, however, can be a valuable investment - and
not just for the recreational opportunities they provide. They
can thrive in locations you'd never consider for a traditional
park or athletic field. Brownfields (or other underused properties), for example, are often a perfect location for a skatepark. Not only does this solution provide the recreational
opportunity sought after by an interested segment of the
community, but it also revitalizes an abandoned or polluted
site, creating a valued recreational resource.
A Healthy Alternative
In today's sustainable climate, communities are increasingly looking for ways to revitalize and repurpose underused
or abandoned sites. But, not just any use is a good fit for a
formerly polluted, usually urban site. Is there contaminated

soil that needs to be removed or capped? What is the surrounding context?
Skateparks, in many cases, provide a perfect solution for
just these kinds of challenges. The history and evolution of
the sport itself evokes a sort of gritty character, rooted in decades of skating city streets in lieu of dedicated facilities. So,
the typical urban, industrial feel of brownfields is familiar -
and even desired - territory for many skaters. Case in point,
when skateboarders in the city of Poplar Bluff, Missouri,
asked for a skatepark, they requested an urban environment
that featured curbs, ledges, rails, ramps and other city features. The city took that preference to heart and settled on a
city-owned lot that had been vacant for decades.
To help with project funding, the city applied for a grant
from the Missouri Foundation for Health's Healthy and
Active Communities initiative citing the goal of improving
the community's health. The initiative was a perfect fit and
the city received a $250,000 grant - helping to make the
$450,000 project possible. Ultimately, the design team created a skatepark that not only provides active recreation,
but also blends in with and enhances the downtown scene.
" Where previously there wasn't something here, it's an ac-

Lynch Family
Skatepark, Boston,
Massachusettes.
12	

Parks & Recreation

| 2 0 1 6 P L AYG R O U N D G U I D E | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G



Playground Guide - 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Playground Guide - 2016

Playground Guide - 2016 - 1
Playground Guide - 2016 - 2
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