Identifying The Need: The Movement Market

This article is a part of the Public Parkour Park Roadmap Series

When local government begins looking at building a new park or public space, they always start with research. They look to community surveys, public meetings and engagement events, census data, and reports from park managers and steering committees in order to figure out if there is actually a need for new spaces, what to fund, and where it should go. Project proposals that have the greatest public reach have higher value and greater chance of success.

To assess and understand the need in your community for a new park space you should gather information on the larger Movement Market. The Movement Market is a group of users that participate in ‘alternative athletics‘ which include fitness-based, outdoor, and individual sports that tend to emphasize collaboration, community, and personal creativity over head-to-head competition.

There are many reasons this research step is invaluable:

  • Creates a deeper understanding of all the communities and stakeholders that may be invested in seeing a new park built
  • Uncovers potential resources available to support your project
  • Involves community members early in the process, building trust and buy-in

In this article I have collected some initial information and data that can help you more fully answer the question of ‘who is my park for?’.

  • Section 1 defines the Movement Market and the types of sports and activity groups that should be taken into consideration when looking at direct user groups.
  • Section 2 collects some parkour-specific data on participation as well as for the larger collection of related athletics, with brief notes on gender, age, and income.
  • Section 3 provides data on the decline of team and racquet sport participation and
  • Section 4 looks at other important trends indicating industry growth such as public investment and partnerships, the growth of gyms, and governance.

Finally, I writing from an American perspective but a lot of this information and approach can be translated to other communities.

1: What are Alternative Athletics

Athletic Diversity

Parkour is just one branch of the family of Alternative Athletics — a grouping of sports that include a number of different fitness based sports, individual sports, and outdoor sports.

Closest related to parkour are fitness and outdoor industries such as Ninja Warrior and obstacle course race training, Movnat and ‘Movement Culture’ activities, buildering, bouldering, adult gymnastics, capoeria, calisthenics, and tricking.

Additional complementary disciplines that share some elements of skill, culture, or philosophy include breakdancing, slacklining, rock climbing, CrossFit, weight lifting, circus arts, modern dance, and martial arts.

(I am *explicitly excluding* skateboarding, which has such significant differences in risk level, skills, and relationship to the environment that lumping it together with parkour can potentially harm project success and confuse your audience.)

Most cities will have gyms, non-profit organizations, or informal communities around alternative movement practices. Climbing and parkour gyms, crossfit boxes, dance and martial art studios, etc. These communities often are deeply driven by collaboration and partnership and would likely be excited to connect with your project.

Key Take Away: Your park doesn’t just serve parkour but a larger ‘Movement Market’ and all of their subsequent students and participants — a number that can be sizable!

TIP: Start your research process by indexing the different communities, facilities, and organizations in your town or city. Reach out and try to collect data on membership and participation rates, as well as demographic information if possible (age ranges).

Sport-Sampling Behaviors

The average Alternative Athlete will actively engage in cross training and sport sampling. I lead a small community survey of parkour and climbing practitioners (n=85) and 100% of practitioners indicated they participated in at least one or more of the above activities outside of their primary sport. Furthermore, most gym facilities offer programs, space, or time for the practice of multiple Alternative Athletics.

Key Takeaway: Spaces for parkour and these alternative athletic practices can be both simple and multi-functional, and serve communities even if not explicitly designed for. High value / impact.

2: Participation Rates & Demographics

How many people are participating and what do they look like?

Participation In Parkour

There is very little large scale data collection on participation in parkour worldwide. However, Sport England has conducted an Active Lives Survey in the United Kingdom, providing insight into sports participation, including parkour!

  • In a 2018 survey, over 106,500 (ages 16+) in England that have participated in Parkour/Freerunning * and had taken part at least twice in the last 28 days!  (data) That is two times the amount of individuals participating in skateboarding report, and up by almost 10,000 new participants.
  • Of this, approx 55,800 are male and 50,700 female.
  • Survey participants indicated they were most interested in ‘lifestyle sports’, with parkour listed among sports that people have not participated in but would like to participate in.
  • Participants in cities and towns (vs countryside/rural) are more likely to participate

Additionally, the Aspen Institute worked with King County, Washington to do a State of Play in 2018. In this study Youth said that they were most interested in trying non-traditional sports which included parkour, martial arts, and rockclimbing! Specifically 25% of respondents indicated their interest in trying parkour.

The United States Parkour Association is also working on an industry study for the US, to go live in 2020 with results in late 2020 /early 2021. At that time I will update this article with more expansive demographic information. If you are interested in contributing data, please contact me at Caitlin@ParkourVisions.org to be included.

Key Takeaway: Interest in parkour is growing, as well as the larger interest in ‘lifestyle’ sports, especially in urban communities. (And as noted earlier, increase in parkour participation will likely drive increased participation in other types of alternative athletics).

In Fitness-Based / Outdoor Sports

When looking to represent potential participation interest to local government, looking at larger fitness statistics can really help you build a far stronger case. According to the 2019 Physical Activity Council Participation Report:

Over 72% of Americans age 6+ reported in engaging in some form of physical activity on a weekly basis–a number that continues to rise every year. This is reflecting a rising interest in physical health and activity. Aspen Institute also discovered that half of all vigorous exercise occurs in parks (link).

There has been a 5%-6% increase in Outdoor and Fitness-based sport participation, with 66% of individuals age 6+ reporting participation in fitness based sports, and 59% in outdoor sports (which parkour would fall into). Alternative Athletics are primarily composed of Outdoor and Fitness-based sports.

*COMPARE THIS TO: only 22.6 % of the population reporting participation in Team sports (soccer, basketball, football, etc) and 13% in racquet sports (tennis, . This statistic is PARTICULARLY valuable since many governments have spent huge amounts of money on providing facilities and fields for racquet and team sports for this small sampling of the population and very little for fitness sport activity such as outdoor fitness parks.

Key Takeaway: Team sports are on the decline while fitness-based and outdoor sports are on the rise. Participation in fitness-based and outdoor sports significantly out-weighs participation in team and racquet sports. Most cities provide dedicated spaces for team and racquet sports yet there are limited dedicated spaces for the practice of fitness-based and outdoor sports (outside of hiking and cycling trails). Outdoor parkour and adult play spaces / fitness parks can service larger populations.

Income Impact on General Fitness Participation

Income is also strongly correlated with inactivity. The lower the income, the more likely for inactivity. Participation is blocked by cost of participation — field fees, race entrance fees, gym costs, etc. Outdoor and Fitness-based sports report the highest levels of participation among low income communities. (Aspen Institute State of Play 2018)

Key Takeaway: Having free and easily accessible public spaces for general fitness could contribute to increasing participation among these vulnerable populations.

Gender & Age in Parkour

Alternative Athletics tend to be ‘Life-style’ and Life-Time Sports, promoting community over competitive achievement, and creating space for participation beyond youth.

AGE

Parkour Visions, a Seattle based non-profit, has served students from 3 – 72, with our largest demographic being youth ages 7-12. Around the tween-teen age, students transition into community participation. There also is an active adult community that is independently self organizing. This is comparable to other cities and communities.

PK Move and Parkour Dance Company have served students into their 70s and 80s. At the annual Art of Retreat Conference, we have had participants from their 20s – 60s . At the Annual Womens Gathering, we have had participants from 12 – 60s.

Through an informal survey in Feb 2020 through community channels, just a quick look:

Country/StateYoungestOldest
UK660
UK568
UK560
Denmark919
Belgium847
Denmark2272
AUS365
WA, USA372
CT, USA*
Youth Programs
419
DC, USA482
UT, USA650
PA, USA3~50s
CA, USA68
PA, USA3~60s
WA, USA551
NY, USA550
Argentina335
France675

GENDER

Additionally, while practice has historically been dominated by men, the Sport England study shows that when provided with a degree of organization, governance, and instruction, near comparable participation rates are achievable. (55k-M to 50k-F split!)

Key Takeaway: Parkour is age diverse and capable of attracting near equal participation by genders.

TIP: Know Your Numbers
Most states collect and track location specific data on physical activity that could be valuable to making your case for your particular state or community project. For example, in 2019 the Aspen Institute completed a study for King County (Seattle) that revealed that youth are indicating that Parkour is one of the top sports they want to try! The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, The Physical Activity Council, The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Aspen Institute Sports and Society Division are great places to start, as well as your states Department of Health reports.

3: Decline of Team Participation

Did you know that according to a youth sports participation survey, 62% of kids quit organized team sports by age 11? Furthermore In 2018, only 38% of kids ages 6 to 12 played team sports on a regular basis, down from 45% in 2001.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health also discovered that although almost three in four adults played sports when they were younger (73%), only one in four (25%) continue to play sports as adults. (Again, juxtaposed against the increase in participation in generalized fitness-based and outdoor sports)

4: Parkour Industry Evolution

Gym expansion, program reach, and the establishment of governance structures

PUBLIC FUNDING & PARTNERSHIPS

Parkour has continued to rise out of obscurity, with organizations securing partnerships and public funding for programs across the states. While there are many more examples, just a few include:

  • Parkour Visions, a 501(c)3 non-profit, received a $50,000 grant from King County to provide free afterschool programs, outreach workshops, and an Adaptive Parkour programs in 2018-2019. They continue to build their partnerships with the City of Seattle and the Associated Recreation Council. PK Move, a 501(c)3 non-profit, received a $5,000 grant to partner with Alexandria City Public Schools to provide a free afterschool program.
  • DC Public Schools officially partners with American Parkour to bring a parkour-based Physical Education curriculum to over 40 DC and Maryland public schools, and is expanding to charter schools and afterschool programs. Many other orgs around the country partner on a smaller scale to provide similar programming in and out of school.
  • The Movement Creative in NYC has built successful event and program partnerships with the New York City Department of Transportation, Department of Education, and Department of Parks & Recreation, sometimes reaching over 20,000 people per event. They also were provided space to build large seasonal parkour installations on Governors Island by the Trust from 2015-2017.
  • Both the National Academy of Sports and the American Council on Exercise have offered continuing education credits for parkour courses, thanks to the work of Parkour Generations Americas and Pinnacle Parkour.
  • American cities are finally beginning to invest in building dedicated parks for parkour, with construction of parks in Boise ID, Somerville MA, San Diego CA, and a planned park in New York City — all since 2016. Meanwhile, internationally over a hundred parkour parks have been built, with higher volumes of parks in Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Berlin.

MORE ON GOVERNANCE

As of 2020 there are at least 28 national governing bodies internationally and 3 international world governing bodies vying for authority. In the United States, the United States Parkour Association formed as a NGB in 2018 and began on-boarding members officially in late 2019.

GYMS & PROGRAMMING

As of October 2019, there are at least 40 states in the US with dedicated (primary focus) parkour facilities and communities and 27 states with affiliated ninja gyms in the United States, with the highest concentration of establishments in New York, California, Texas, and Colorado.

There are at least 4 parkour non-profit organizations with established records and activity (1,2,3,4), dozens of national and regional annual events drawing between 50-250 participants, and an international industry leadership and education conference directly reaching over 50 organizations and 35 countries since 2015.

The Federation of International Gymnastics recently (and controversially) claimed ownership of parkour and is encouraging national gymnastics organizations to establish and field US parkour teams in 2020. There are also at least a hundred gymnastics facilities offering some small scale form of parkour, obstacle course, or ninja programming across the majority of the US, recognizing its ability to draw in male participation and increase revenue. It is safe to project the continued growth of parkour participation as it gains greater mainstream awareness.

In a similar vein, there has been an explosion of parkour competition platforms. The US has the West Coast Parkour Championships, fielding 8 competitions in 8 different cities in 2020, and the Midwest Parkour League, fielding 10 competitions in 9 cities and 5 states. The Sport Parkour League fields 7 competitions in Canada and the US. Finally, there is the highly controversial ‘world parkour championships’ being organized by F.I.G.

Recap & What You Need To Do

When advocating for a park project, one of the best things you can do to support the success of the project is to build and demonstrate community support. Your community is bigger than just parkour — it is the whole movement market.

  • When conducting user or market analysis of your local community, or looking to build local support, include all alternative athletics– your ‘Movement Market.
  • The Movement Market includes individuals of all age ranges, genders, and race.
  • Alternative Athletics have larger numbers of participation (via’outdoor’ and ‘fitness-based’ activities) than conventional team and racquet sports combined.
  • Most cities have not provided free public space resources for fitness-based and outdoor activities beyond hiking and cycling, so there is a demonstrable need.
  • Alternative athletics are growing, with measured increase in participation in most sports.
  • Alternative Athletics tend to be lifetime sports, encouraging long-term participation, engagement, and investment into spaces for these types of activities by the users.

YOUR TO DO LIST

  • Research and create a database of communities and alternative sports offered and operating within a 35-45 minute radius (via most common form of transportation in your area). This can include gyms, non-profits, schools with related programs, informal communities. Utilize google, social media, event sites like meetup.com and eventbrite, and linkedin. Collect email, phone, and primary contact
  • Reach out to every entry in your database, share your project vision (under 2 minutes!) and request participation and demographic information for their particular community. Capture this data in your database. (See worksheet below for suggested data)
  • Research state and federal statistics on participation in fitness-based, outdoor, and individual sports. Capture in a document, summaries with links to your sources. Choose non-profit, government, and peer-reviewed published data whenever possible.
  • Create a one-sheet summary of all this data, creating the story about your local Movement Market, highlighting key community partners (those with the largest memberships or participant reaches) and the inter-generational, inclusive nature of alternative athletics
  • Identify public officials or upcoming public meetings and community input sessions where you can submit or present your findings. (See future article)
  • Maintain relationships with your newly established community connections. Public projects can take years. Keeping communication open with your potential partners and community users will help in future advocacy efforts, during design input, and throughout the life of the project.

On Playgrounds, Violence, and Shame

“Playground experiences can mold a lifetime.” – Jon Ronson

I recently got to read the book Playground by James Mollison, which is a photography project to capture the diversity of play experiences children had in different countries. He described his motivation for the project at the very end: “When I conceived this series of pictures, I was thinking about my time at school. I realized that most of my memories were from the playground. It had been a space of excitement, games, bullying, laughing, tears, teasing, fun, and fear.”

More interesting is the forward written by Jon Ronson who reflected deeply on his own childhood experiences on the playground which were distinctly coloured by bullying, violence, and shame.

When we engage in play, we suspend reality and can give ourselves space to try on new identities, explore repressed emotions, and self-express in new ways that might otherwise feel risk in ‘normal’ life. It can be as innocent as dressing up in ways that in ‘normal’ life would leave us with a fear of social rejection or on a darker note role playing the villians in our bedtime stories. Our playgrounds are not only places of joy and creativity but also laboratories for experiments with anger, violence, aggression, and our ‘shadow’ selves.

Jon Ronson wrote that “Playgrounds can mold a lifetime”. As I look at all these photos, I can’t help but think that while we absolutely should be thinking about how we shape our play spaces physically perhaps we should be spending more time on how to shape them politically. Who makes the rules and who referees? How far are we allowed to go in our self-experiments one way or another? How do we handle conflict, address violence, and support communication?

As adults, teachers, designers, leaders–we sometimes think we know best. We forge ahead laying out rules, regulations, expectations, we facilitate and supervise, we start to box in play and public activity according to what we think is the most safe. We consult books, best practices, and professionals…. and often forget to ask the one group that matters most–our users. When things go even a little bit array, we jump in to fix, and the opportunity to have a direct experience cultivating skills in negotiation, temperance, independence and personal responsibility is greatly diminished.

What I’m getting at is: when we alienate the users of our playspaces (whether children or adults) from the creation of the rules that govern it and the decisions that physically shape it, we lose the opportunity to come together as a whole community. We loose a chance to have a group dialogue about how we want to live together. To understand collectively our standards for integrity in our interactions. We perpetuate power structures, stereotypes, and personal fears.

I don’t have a strong concluding point except to say that we should, whenever possible, engage in collaborative playcemaking. Engage all stakeholders. Seek out the smallest voices, those disenfranchised and unheard or undervalued. Our playgrounds can be more than just recreation sites… they can be places of deep healing too.

You can see more of his photography online on his website.

Play and sports can be incredible spaces for peacemaking, community building, and personal development.