Pretoria – The Gardens Skate Park, which caters for both novice and experienced skaters, has opened in the heart of Cape Town.
Once a vacant eyesore under the Jutland Avenue Bridge, the skate park is now an exciting recreational space.
The city’s Spatial Planning and Urban Design Department designed, funded and constructed the urban project and the park will be managed by the Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department.
The park is predominantly concrete and is fenced off from the surrounding roads and equipped with lights. It also boasts spectator areas on the sides.
The flow of the skate park allowed for the natural ground level and utilises the existing retaining wall to create a natural flow from two high points with a pipe jam, manual pads, air wedges and other obstacles in the free-flowing area.
“The location proved suitable for an activity such as skateboarding and we hope that this project will set the precedent for the use of many of the vacant spaces below the city’s bridges and off-ramps,” said MEC for Economic, Environmental and Spatial Planning, Johan van der Merwe
He said the skate park illustrated how innovative thinking and design-centred development can transform vacant and sometimes problematic spaces for the benefit of a wider community. – SAnews.gov.za
