The number of Gulf-based developers interested in integrating youth facilities like skateparks into their projects is on the rise.
This increase in interest stems from the realisation that skateparks and other recreational spaces make for good investments, Julius Turanyik, general manager of Convic, told Construction Week.
Turanyik explained that developers can make their projects, especially residential or community developments, more appealing to buyers by creating spaces targeted at the youth – a segment of the population who, he said, has the most amount of disposable time.
“We often find that having a well-designed youth space in a development works as a magnet [for buyers],” he said. “It works as an investment because it can function as a community infrastructure and create more demand for the property. Developers can also get more value from the space by setting up restaurants or a food and beverage area around the skatepark, for example.”
An Australia-headquartered company with offices in Dubai, Convic conceptualised and built XDubai Skatepark, located at Kite Beach.
With an area spanning more 3,000m2, XDubai Skatepark has been designed to appeal to professional skateboarders as well as those just taking up the sport, noted Turanyik.
He added that since the company activated or delivered the project in December 2015, Convic has been receiving requests for information from developers as well as design firms from not only the UAE but also other countries in the region.
“In the last two years, we have seen an extraordinary amount of interest from developers and design offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and neighbouring countries as well, who say that they would like to integrate skateparks in their projects,” said Turanyik.
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