Expert blog: Creating skateboard-friendly urban public spaces

Once an edgy place, the redevelopment of London’s Southbank area and its location close to the cultural and political centres of the capital now provides a steady flow of onlookers and observers from all walks of life. The Southbank Undercroft skate spot is an unofficial ‘found space’, and whilst it is skateable for beginners, it is predominantly a showcase for a niche community of skaters, bmx riders and graffiti artists. The users self-manage the space, not always without conflict, which potentially reduces the inclusive feel. Overhanging concrete structures delineate the skate space and along with the colourful graffiti backdrop create a shop window for riders’ performances. Its value has been officially recognised as part of the cultural offer for this part of London, with successful campaigns to and extend the space.

Nottingham’s Sneinton Market Square is another ‘found space’ for skaters - the City Council quickly banned skating after re developing the square in 2011 despite early designs including skate-specific installations. Nevertheless skating has become established and is now an integral part of the urban culture of the “Creative Quarter” which has also embraced billboard graffiti. Sneinton’s inclusiveness could be questioned, with a lack of beginner-friendly obstacles and an atmosphere that has oscillated between generally welcoming and diverse, and occasionally less secure. Nevertheless skating now animates a space which borders one of Nottingham’s most economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods and which has historically had issues with street drinking and drug abuse. The skaters’ presence provides an opportunity for passive security and, with increased engagement and support, the skaters could become good custodians of the plaza.

Certain inferences can be drawn at this stage from the case studies:

• Unmanaged, found spaces are likely to be regarded as ‘legit’ by skateboarders, but may become exclusive, at least for certain periods, and less inclusive at other times. Planned hybrid skate-spaces need to gain skaters’ respect but be designed and managed to allow a sense of space ownership by all users.
• Hybrid spaces, designed for the general public and with some beginner-friendly obstacles and wide open spaces to reduce pressure have good prospects for becoming successful, inclusive urban places.
• Such hybrid spaces need careful collaborative design and an ongoing commitment to manage the needs of various users, in a low-key way.
• As reliance on commercial activity in cities is increasingly challenged and it becomes imperative to reactivate city spaces through urban culture, the need for tranquillity must also be met. Hybrid skate-spaces that include a high quotient of tranquil green space might be one solution. A recent project by University College London, Goldsmiths and skatepark builder Betongpark (who are also advising on Sussex Street, Nottingham), included a semi-movable concrete ‘skate dot’ (skateable sculpture) with elements of urban greening built into this small-scale design.
• Whilst considerable investment may be needed to create successful hybrid skate-spaces (as seen in Copenhagen)- much can be achieved on a low budget to integrate skating in to landscaping schemes (as seen in Glasgow). The investment needed in the ongoing maintenance and management of these spaces for all users should not be underestimated, however it should be offset against the social benefits and cultural/creative/human capital that they can generate as cohesive, multifunctional urban spaces.

Further studies in to failed examples of urban skate-spaces will help define the success factors more clearly for application to future projects. A number of interesting questions around the way that public policy is designed and implemented in different vertical/horizontal, individualist/collectivist societies have also been raised, which connect to skateboarding culture and its individualist/collectivist tendencies, non-conformity and informal hierarchies.