"This is important. LOVE Park is a test case of whether this city can do the things that cities must do to thrive. Smart cities don't spit on serendipity . . . The mayor and his top aides are talented people who do their best as they see it. But they just don't get it. They don't get how cities save themselves. It's enough to make you cry."
There are arguments against returning skating to the park - damage and liability chief among them. But those are excuses.
Skating does less damage than most people think, and the million dollars from DC Shoes would have kept the park in top shape for at least a decade. Liability isn't an issue since the city has blanket coverage at all of its athletic facilities, and studies rank skateboarding less dangerous than soccer, baseball, basketball and volleyball. Building a new park is not the answer, either. While Philly needs additional skateparks, LOVE is irreplaceable. Can you tear down the Art Museum steps and rebuild them somewhere else?
A recent PlanPhilly.com article noted that skating still won't be allowed after the LOVE Park renovation, which may permanently destroy the park's signature features.
This may be our last chance to harness LOVE Park's potential.
So I challenge Philadelphia: Break the mold of our provincial, naysayer attitude. Let's keep some of the signature features that made the park famous.
After the renovation, invite the skateboarders of the world back to LOVE Park. If it doesn't work, reinstate the ban. But at least be bold enough to give it a try.
Let's take a risk now or the chance is gone forever.
Gregory Heller is an urban planner in Philadelphia who is one of the founding members of the Friends of LOVE Park.
