Following research which shows that skateparks can be intimidating for girls, Wheelscape has worked with Make Space for Girls to design a skatepark which works for everyone.
Skateparks are increasingly popping up in our parks and public spaces thanks to the growing popularity of the activity. There are more people skating, riding and scooting than ever before and statistics for female participation are rising, with an increase of 21 per cent in 2022 alone. And yet, traditional skateparks don’t work that well for girls. Research by the charity Make Space for Girls found that girls feel uncomfortable in traditional skateparks with the majority timing their visits for when the skatepark is quiet and nearly three quarters saying some boys made them feel as though they shouldn’t be on the skatepark at all.
The findings of the research prompted Wheelscape, the designer of skateparks, alternative sports destinations and activity parks and responsible for some of the UK’s oldest and most influential skateparks, to contact the charity. “Wheelscape believe that anyone, regardless of ability, gender or experience should be afforded equal opportunity to use skateparks, or indeed any provision for activity; the health and wellbeing of our communities depends upon it,” says designer Elliot Hamilton. “Before we put those beliefs into action, we wanted tangible evidence that the current situation falls well below our expectations. We also needed to hear the voices that our industry had traditionally ignored.
After meeting Make Space for Girls, it was obvious that our interests aligned. They had done much more work than we first realised, including building a diverse network of likeminded people from around the world.” Make Space for Girls’ academic approach paired perfectly with Wheelscape’s practical experience. A collaborative concept design informed by their joint experience was an obvious next step. “We began working up a brief for a ‘blue sky’ design totally unencumbered by site constraints, timing or overbearing stakeholders. It was a chance to imagine what an inclusive park could look like,” says Hamilton. Through a series of sketches, Wheelscape built the vision into a tangible concept. With the blessing of several girl-only groups, girl skaters, architects and researchers, they developed some 3D designs for a skatepark which works for everyone.
challenging the status quo “We don’t think anyone is deliberately creating spaces which are unwelcome for girls, more that they are unaware of how these spaces work for girls in practice,” explains Hamilton It’s very easy to fall into a self-serving pattern, whereby companies advocate new versions of their last park in each town they visit. To perfect their craft, most skatepark builders use one material (concrete) and one method of construction (in-situ poured). “Whilst robust, these methods can begin to dictate the design and even stifle the creative process, leading to both functionally and aesthetically repetitive environments,” he says. To exacerbate the issue, people that gravitate to the skatepark consultation sessions also tend to identify with the people that run them (who are mostly male skaters) and, in their enthusiasm to get a jam-packed skatepark, may overlook the quieter voices of those that don’t currently participate. But the problem isn’t squarely on the designer or end-user. “We’d argue a project is only as good as the brief it responds to and councils generally dictate that process.” Usually, councils allow a four to six week window for bidders to create a ‘perfect’ design, often without meeting the community. In many cases, that design goes into the ground for a designed life of 25+ years without any mixed consultation taking place. Hamilton explains that due to the rules governing procurement, most tenders are written in isolation by councillors with little or no experience of skateparks. And this results in two problems. The first is that councils relinquish control to local skaters and riders, who are unfairly left to produce a wish list, or worse, a complete design brief by themselves. “This has led to a succession of similar parks as most users just don’t have the professional experience required to make a social impact.” Secondly, councils misunderstand what a skatepark is (again due to a lack of exposure), stereotype the end user as a negative influence and unwittingly force parks to the fringes of our public realm where only unlawful users go and the stereotype rolls on. In these cases, even the best designs can be ineffective. “If we accept the lack of ‘girl friendly’ design as a simple oversight or unchecked bias, we have to accept that processes to design these places needs to change,” says Hamilton.
inclusive, multi-use design Based on research from Europe and the input of girl skateboarders in the UK, Wheelscape has designed an inclusive skatepark.
“Rather than isolate skate and ride away from other amenities, as a kind of specialist area reserved for the able few, we want to pull them into close proximity with play, movement and social areas,” explains Hamilton. He refers to these mixed-use, master planned places as activity parks. “The proximity and combination of activities is critical. Get this right, and it becomes impossible for any one group to dominate the space, opening it up to all ages, genders and abilities.” Landscaping and social areas are used to safely delineate the different areas, inviting new participants to explore - Wheelscape doesn’t advocate fencing any area. The space includes areas to enjoy a coffee and spectate to appease parents who are often the biggest barrier for younger participants. A café with a grey water system, living roof and composting toilet make all day visits a real and sustainable prospect. The activity parks also include a broad range of materials and finishes from herringbone brick to core-ten steel, concrete to resin-bound gravel. “When recently asked by a skater why we had removed part of ‘his’ skatepark to introduce a seating and activity area, the honest answer was that the skatepark probably wouldn’t exist without the seating /activity area, as the funders valued the breadth of our proposal. As funding becomes more difficult to secure, we think inclusive, multi-use design could offer solutions,” says Hamilton. “Our new thinking comes, not at the expense of, but in conjunction with our core values as a skatepark firm. All of the skate / ride zones in the design remain our trademark flow and generous functional spacing.”
a joined-up approach The launch of the inclusive concept has been met with much interest from charities, individuals and change groups. Wheelscape has subsequently partnered with Bedfordshire University on a three-year research project to explore girls’ outdoor physical activity, physical literacy and meaningfulness through sports. The company is also collaborating with architectural practice, Urban Radicals, to explore ways to activate lifeless urban spaces. Other notable projects in development include a skateable community garden, a village eco-activity park and a mini pump track and activity park. “We want to work with councils, communities, architects, developers, schools and anyone else that can affect change in the community to reframe the value of skaters and riders in the context of the community,” says Hamilton. “By zooming out, studying existing provisions and taking a joined-up approach, we can dispel some of the myths around skateparks and who uses them, normalising and promoting them alongside other provisions and ultimately driving up participation for all users.”
Wheelscape’s inclusive skatepark concept
