Findings of first-ever survey of UK’s skateable spaces revealed

Researchers from the School of Mind, Body and Society collaborated on a year-long project to provide insights into the UK’s skateboarding infrastructure.

Landmark survey of UK skateable spaces  

The first national audit of its kind, the project identified over 2,000 skateable spaces across the UK. Researchers Dr Esther Sayers and George Nicholls collaborated with Skateboard GB and skatepark specialists Betongpark, with the research funded by Sport England.  

Regional skate community specialists across the UK gathered data to create a comprehensive picture of the UK’s skateable environment. The study found, updating the data with closures, there were approximately 1,923 skateable spaces open in 2025 across all 12 UK regions and nations. Beyond simply counting facilities - including purpose-built, outdoor, indoor, DIYs (built by the community) and significant street-skating locations - the audit examined each site in detail, recording features such as obstacles (ramps, rails, ledges), age, construction methods, condition, and levels of community activation. 

This project was a natural fit for Dr Sayers, who is herself a keen skateboarder. She said, “Skateboarding has grown exponentially in popularity in the last decade in the UK, and particularly since it became an Olympic sport in 2020. There’s an intergenerational community, including families with children, as well as those who started when skateboarding came to UK in the 70s and grew up with it. Since the 2020 Olympics, the number of girls and women skateboarding has increased massively. That’s why it’s important now to understand what infrastructure we have, and how it can support progression and community involvement, and what steps could be taken to improve it.” 

George Nicholls, Primary PGCE Lecturer, also collaborated on the project. He said, "I organised and performed the data handling and analysis for the audit, designing the survey and database that structured the project’s dataset. I integrated qualitative findings from Esther’s interviews with quantitative, statistical and geographical analysis. This, with Stuart Maclure’s (Development Director at Betongpark) commercial and design insight, helped build a picture of how skateable spaces operate and how they connect with local scenes and communities." 

What makes a skatepark high quality? 

A key output of the project was to understand what makes a skatepark high-quality. It also helped to identify patterns in how design and construction affect safety, usage and perceptions of quality. 

The audit found that:

• Skateparks constructed in concrete and positioned in well‑considered, visible locations are positively associated with user perceptions of quality.
• Skateparks comprising of modular ramps on an asphalt base (a construction technique popular in the 1990s–2000s but continuing to occur in some cases today) are more likely to be under-used and have a greater likelihood of anti-social behaviour, due to factors including the void space beneath modular ramps. This can lead to abandonment, vandalism and litter, further affecting their usage. 
• Managed indoor skateparks are rated safest and best for progression, yet they make up less than 5% of all skateable spaces.
• City‑centre sites, such as those in Nottinghamshire, score highly, while remote or poorly connected parks, for example in the Southwest, have reduced accessibility.
• Skateable spaces with established user groups who offer regular lessons and community‑led events also perform strongly on quality indices. 

Lack of competition ready spaces 

While many sites meet the needs for beginners, with varied obstacles, flat ground, and good flow through the park, the provision for skaters aspiring to international competition standard is limited. Only a small number of sites successfully combine inclusive beginner‑friendly design with advanced features. None of the assessed sites meet international competition standards. 

Skateboarding became an Olympic sport in 2020, but none of the UK sites would be suitable currently for holding such a competition.  

Regional differences  

The research found major variation in provision across different regions of the UK. The Southeast, Southwest, East of England, and Scotland have the highest number of skateable spaces, while the Northeast, Northwest, Wales, Yorkshire and the Humber, and Northern Ireland have the fewest. It is estimated that the East of England had a total of 292 skateable spaces in 2025, whilst Northern Ireland had just 12 and the Northeast just 54. 

Dr Esther Sayers says, “At a time when the regeneration of town centres is a national priority, investment in sports, culture and recreation plays a key part.  This report offers insights into ways in which local councils can work positively with regional communities. We recommend targeted investment in public facilities that engage younger and older people through inter-generationally benefitting skateboarders, other wheeled sport users and communities more broadly.” 

The role of community 

The survey also considered the importance and role of an engaged community in the quality of a skateable space, including community involvement in space design, activity provision and how community impacts on opportunities for progression from beginner level. 

The research shows that local authorities who involve user groups early in the design and planning process produce higher‑quality, better‑used, and more meaningful facilities. However, the study highlights a major gap: funding rarely extends beyond construction, leaving limited support for coaching, programming, or long‑term community development. 

James Hope-Gill, Chief Executive of Skateboard GB, said: “This important study confirms that skateparks can be vital community assets. We hope that this research helps Local Government and skatepark advocates maximise the benefits of these facilities for accessible physical exercise and forming social connections with minimal cost barriers, critical for good mental health. We welcome the evidence on the importance of user‑community engagement, and we will be working hard to support the growth of more skatepark groups nationwide, to ensure people can skate more, skate better wherever they live in the UK.” 

Rafal Wojnowski