New skateparks on the way as Vancouver park board approves 20-year skateboard strategy

Service gaps to be fixed by well-connected network of skate amenities

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      The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has approved its new longterm plan to improve skateboarding facilities in the city.

      The new skate strategy, called SkateCity, was approved unanimously at the park board's June 6 meeting, where 24 speakers approved of the plan to improve skateboard amenities over 20 years.

      The plan had been in the works since the board passed a motion in the summer of 2017 for staff to develop a long-term skateboard strategy, taking into account future population pressure, existing amenities, and transportation networks.

      "Vancouver has long been considered a hub of skateboarding," the park board said in a June 7 release after the approval, "and while the popularity of the sport has surged both here and globally, the city’s skate amenities are currently not meeting the needs of the skateboarding and small-wheeled sports community.

      "This is particularly true for equity-seeking groups," the bulletin continued, "including women, Indigenous youth, and young people, who already face additional challenges to participating in these sports."

      By "small-wheeled sports", board staff explained in the CitySkate report (subtitled "Vancouver Skateboard Amenities Strategy"), they were including BMX biking, inline skating, roller skating, and scooter activities.

      The new plan covers upgrades to existing facilities as well as "new builds", the release noted. Top of mind during its formulation were the following seven goals: "more space, year-round use, better distribution, community support, a connected network, creative integration, and terrain variety".

      To read the entire report, go here.

      Some of the report's key recommendations to be undertaken during the next 20 years are to construct seven new "neighbourhood level" skateparks, build 10 new city park "skate spots", upgrade six existing skateparks, encourage private developers to include skate features as public amenities, work with the school board to identify possible skate amenities when education settings are being renovated, and to consider skaters and amenities connections when upgrading existing or building new greenways.

      The park board approved what it calls four "quick wins" for the skateboarding community that are feasible within this last year of the current (2019-2022) capital plan. These are upgrades to both the China Creek Skate Spot and the Leeside Skate Park, as well as a refurbishment of the Norquay Park Ledge and programming support at the Hillcrest Curling Rink.

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