FEBRUARY 2007

From public pools to university natatoriums to indoor waterparks, the aquatic world is a vast and teeming ocean of diverse and unique facilities, amenities and program offerings. In this special supplement, we fish out the most important information to help you run your facility. Whether you're planning a new facility, adding water play features or just need to perform daily maintenance and reduce risk for your existing pool, we cover it all in this guide to the life aquatic.

With die-hard older fans as well as new kids on the ramp, skateboarding's popularity is definitely not waning. What better way to get kids off the couch and into the open air than to provide them with skating facilities? We look at what's new and what's tried and true in skateparks.

Who knew there were so many options when it comes to sports fields and grounds? We look at the benefits and drawbacks of both synthetic and natural turf, then turn to maintenance issues. How can you prevent overuse and decrease the wear and tear on your fields? From choosing a turf type to maintaining what you've got, we cover lots of ground to get your grounds up to speed.

What is safety, and how important is it to your facility? From your staff members to your own desk, there are many perspectives on enhancing safety, and we'll look at them all to help you decide how best to protect your patrons from harm.

Climbing walls have been growing in popularity, taking off from the days when they were only used by hard-core enthusiasts to their current presence in parks, playgrounds and rec centers across the country. This column considers the new audiences for climbing walls to help you bring more people to your facility.

Locker rooms and restrooms may not always be glamorous, but these crucial components are often overlooked when it comes to planning and maintenance. If you neglect these areas, they can quickly become targets for vandals. Here's what you need to know to reduce vandalism in your facility.

A major part of marketing your facility is creating a "brand"—no matter how informal. But this can go far beyond the visual logos and taglines to include multi-sensory experiences for your patrons.

Just 10 minutes from the heart of Charlotte, N.C., lies the U.S. National Whitewater Center, which offers the thrills of rapids, chutes, dips and ends for kayakers, canoeists and rafters in the world's largest manmade whitewater river.

With solar panels, composting toilets, vegetated roof and much more, the new Visitors Center at Sweetwater Creek State Park shows how a team committed to sustainable design can create a building that goes beyond anyone's expectations.

This facility for teens has already earned a design and construction award, and is attracting throngs of teenagers searching for a safe, well-managed place to enjoy their generation's unique genres of sports, music and socializing.