According to the 2010 census, Madison has a population of 233,209, which makes it the second largest city in the state of Wisconsin and the 81st largest city in the United States. From a geographic standpoint, the city of Madison is located 77 miles west of Milwaukee and 122 miles northwest of Chicago. Overall the city is largely diverse and made up of the following ethnicity groups: White, Black, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, and Hispanic (Infoplease, 2011). The median household income for the city of Madison is $41,941 and the state median is $43,791 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010).
Although there are many recreational activities provided to the citizens of Madison, the skateboard population is left out. Madison is home to one of the best skate shops in the area, Freedom Skate Shop. Freedom Skate Shop opened in 1998 as carries a large selection of skateboard hard goods and accessories. Freedom Skate Shop is also the only store to offer products from companies that are true to skating and not generic. They also feature exclusive brands such as Landyachtz longboards, which have been the leader in longboards for over 10 years. With this great collection and store, many of the skateboarders in the city have nowhere to practice their skating skills. It has been noted that skateboarders are being targeted as criminals for skating in the street and on private property, due to the lack of an adequate public skate park. They are also being ticketed and harassed for what they love to do without a legal, safe, or appropriate alternative (Freedom Skate Shop, 2011). The closet skateparks to Madison are the 4-Seasons Skate Park of Milwaukee and the Genoa City Skate Park, which are both over 78 and 113 miles away (Map Muse, 2011). Therefore the city of Madison is desperate for a public skate park. I believe the city of Madison; WI should apply for the Tony Hawk Skateboard Grant as it will help decrease the crime amongst skateboarders and also better equip them with the most appropriate place to skate. The most knowledgeable group to prepare this grant application would be the Skaters for Public Skateparks Organization. Skaters for Public Skateparks (2011) is a “non-profit skatepark advocacy organization, international in reach, dedicated to providing the information necessary to ensure safe, rewarding, freely-accessible skateparks are available to all skateboarders” (p. 1). Although, Skaters for Public Skateparks is located in Portland, OR they are an organization that is “committed to ensuring that the path to a successful skatepark is available to skaters everywhere” (Skaters for Public Skateparks, 2011, p. 1).
Some of the recreational activities that are available to the people of Madison are through the Warner Park Community Recreation Center. Warner Park Community Recreation Center is a facility that offers recreational, educational, and cultural programs and events from childcare, personal training, to games in the gym (basketball, etc.). Through Madison Park Facilities, the residents of Madison can also enjoy recreational activities such as baseball, basketball, canoe/kayak rentals, hiking, ice skating, lacrosse, and many others. Although, there are many recreational activities for the residents in Madison, there are many at-risk. These individuals are usually high school students, in which their behaviors can lead to mortality and morbidity in youth and adulthood. The city of Madison conducts a survey each year that monitors the health-risk behaviors such as traffic safety, weapons and violence, tobacco use, suicide, alcohol, sexual behavior, etc. (Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction, 2010) In order to prevent their behaviors the city of Madison offers the Neighborhood Intervention Program through the Dane County Human Services. This program offers these individuals constructive activities such as dance troupe, discussion groups, and gang prevention activities (Community Development Division – Madison, 2011). 
I believe the city of Madison should provide its residents with a skatepark in Dane County. Dane is one of the main counties in Madison that is also helping to decrease the at-risk youth of the city. With this is mind the county of Dane will be able to not only provide the city with programs that decrease at-risk behaviors, but also provide its city with a public skate park where those who love to skate can practice legally. Skateboarding is considered a 2.5-billion dollar industry that can attract many tourists to an area (Freedom Skate Shop, 2011). So by building a skatepark in Dan County, WI the youth in the area can have a place to hang out that influences positive behaviors and encourages positive lifestyles. The skatepark can be located in Downtown Dane, in a well-lit area that is free of crime and drugs. This area will also promote unity amongst the communities in Madison, WI and can also increase revenue for the city, so that other positive activity programs can be established. The main purpose of building this skatepark is to provide its youth with a safe place to skate, enhance the city/community reputation, and displace other desirable activities amongst the youth in the area. References
Community Development Division – Madison. (2011). Neighborhood Intervention Program. Retrieved from http://www.cityofmadison.com/cdbg/1999/activity/gb001.htm
Freedom Skate Shop. (2011). About us. Retrieved from http://freedomskateshopmadison.com/about-us/
Freedom Skate Shop. (2011). We need a skate park. Retrieved from http://freedomskateshopmadison.com/we-need-a-skate-park/
Infoplease. (2011). Wisconsin. Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108291.html
Map Muse. (2010). Search for skate parks, skateboard parks, skaters in Madison, WI. Retrieved from http://find.mapmuse.com/map/skate-parks/near/Madison,+WI
Photograph of skateboarder. Retrieved from http://www.kidprintables.com/coloring/sports/skateboarding.shtml
Photograph of skateboarding is not a crime. Retrieved from http://www.graphicshunt.com/tags/1/skateboarding.htm
Photograph of sports balls. Retrieved from http://www.uwhealth.org/news/should-your-teen-wear-ankle-braces-for-sports-a-qa-for-parents/32252
U.S. Census Bureau. (2010). Median household income. Retrieved from http://http://www.census.gov/
Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction. (2010). Wisconsin Youth Behavior Survey. Retrieved from http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/yrbsindx.html
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