Cam Skate
The design of this skatepark makes it unfit for use for skaters of any level.
1. Lack of space
There is not enough space for more than two people to skate comfortably at a time.
An increasing number of residents are taking up skateboarding. With its recent inclusion in the Olympics, the number of people using Cambridge’s skateparks is likely to only grow from here.
Jesus Green and Trumpington skatepark show the demand for more space. These parks are consistently popular, to the point that they can be dangerously overcrowded.
2. Poor quality
Donkey Common skatepark is underused due to its unsafe and unappealing design.
The rough tarmac surface is unpleasant to skate on and makes falls more likely (by preventing skateboard wheels from turning smoothly) and more dangerous when they do occur.
According to RoSPA guidance on skateboarding safety, "accidental falls due to loss of balance are the most common with about half of falls due to rough riding surface."
Bumpy joins between ramp and ground - and within ramps - can cause a skateboard or scooter to stop suddenly.
The slippery material of the ramps again increases the likelihood and danger of falls.
3. The space
Given central location at the entryway to Mill Road, Donkey Common is the perfect space for a skatepark that skaters actually want to use.
Views of Donkey Common skatepark from nearby paths.
The modular ramps are an eyesore, and as they are hollow they are unnecessarily loud. Cam Skate present a vision for the space that opens sightlines blocked by the existing ramps, and reduces noise by building with concrete or stone.
In the next section we describe this vision - a skate plaza that is open and feels like a part of the city, bringing skateboarding to the forefront of public life.
Kristianstad Street Plaza in Sweden blurs the line between skatepark and public space.
Kids skating at Place de la République, Paris. Examples from Skateboard urbanism by Fredrik Angne
Berlin - Warschauer Bänke. Two simple rows of ledges in a park between two roads.
This development would enliven an abandoned space right in the centre of Cambridge and bring additional footfall to Mill Road.
At the moment you have a piece of metal that’s sitting in an important part of the city that needs to work for people. And we think that with some compromises, we could find a way of both making it useful for skaters but also to enhance the environment.
© SKATEBOARD CAMBRIDGE CIC 2022