There is great joy among the children and young people in Arlesheim. On Saturday, August 31, 2019, the new skate park next to the swimming pool was opened in the presence of local councillors Ursula Laager and Felix Berchten.
Shortly after two o’clock, children and teenagers stormed the park for the opening ride. The park was put through its paces on all kinds of vehicles. The new micro-ramp in particular was met with enthusiasm. The jump in the middle of the park, which can be ridden on from both sides, also made the skaters’ hearts beat faster. They had missed the skate park and were glad to have a facility again, said one young athlete. The newly built elements of Vertical Technik have been deliberately kept low and accessible for everyone, so that the skate park offers opportunities and safety not only for advanced skaters, but also for beginners.
A youth survey led to
After the ageing skate park had to be removed, the municipality of Arlesheim asked all residents under 26 about their preferences. Various alternatives for the use of the vacated space were selected, with skate park, parkour and street workout taking center stage. A new leisure facility was developed in a subsequent workshop with the participation of children and young people from Arlesheim. Thanks to sponsorship from BLKB, Gasverbund Mittelland and the financial support of the municipality and the lottery fund, the skate park could be realized. The skate park is operated by the “Freiraum Jugendhaus und Kindertreff” association.
The plans remain big
As Gaby Meyer from the Arlesheim youth center explained at the opening event, the leisure facilities on the green area in front of the swimming pool entrance will be expanded. After the swimming pool season, construction work will begin on the redesign. A parkour facility with street workout and a slackline will replace the parking spaces and bring opportunities for more movement into village life. The street workout facility will serve to keep fit through bodyweight exercises. Acrobatic jumps between walls and bars will be performed on the parkour facility. The latter was developed by current parkour world champion and ninja pro Chris Harmat in collaboration with Paul Heuberger from Vertical Technik AG. It is the first parkour facility in the region designed for both beginners and advanced athletes. The municipality can also count on the children’s participation again. While everyone agrees that the leisure facilities are cool, they definitely have suggestions for improvement: the young athletes would like a trampoline or could imagine adding a splash of color to the gray concrete and spray-painting the floor of the facilities. The municipality and the youth center will also give these suggestions favorable consideration.
Address
Schwimmbad Arlesheim (in front of the entrance)
Schwimmbadweg 10
4144 Arlesheim
