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 entrance to the swimming pool will be expanded. Construction work for the redesign will begin after the swimming pool season. A parkour facility with street workout and a slackline will take the place of the parking spaces and bring more exercise into village life. The street workout facility will be used to keep fit with exercises using your own weight. Acrobatic jumps between walls and poles will be performed on the parkour course. 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 beginners and advanced athletes. The municipality can also rely on the cooperation of the children again. Although they agree that the leisure facilities are cool, they still have suggestions for improvement: For example, 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 consider these suggestions sympathetically.
Address
Arlesheim swimming pool (in front of the entrance)
Schwimmbadweg 10
4144 Arlesheim
