Power Plays in Public Space: Skateboard Parks as Battlegrounds, Gifts, and Expressions of Self

Abstract

Numerous studies over the last thirty years have illustrated the importance of considering the issues and concerns of adolescents in any design undertaking, yet there is strong evidence to suggest that much of this research is not being applied by practitioners in any meaningful manner. Nowhere is this incongruence of research and practice move evident than in the design and management of skateboard parks, one of the most prominent—and misunderstood—forms of public space that responds to many of the needs of older children, teens, and young adults. Ideally, these parks can and often do offer a place that teens and others can claim as their own, use as they see fit, and manipulate or change to meet changing needs and desires. In truth, skateboard parks have become much more complex places where public and private agendas clash with the desires of teens who want a place to recreate, hang out, and have fun.

This paper highlights six case studies of skateparks in Oregon. Utilizing field observations and interviews/discussions with teens, park managers, administrators, and others involved in the creation, management, and use of these skateparks, this research not only validates past research findings regarding teens and public/private space, but also serves to illuminate the degree to which this past research is or isn't incorporated into the design of this type of publicly accessible open space. Also apparent are various stereotypes about teens, skateboarders, and skateboarding, and how these stereotypes affect the ultimate configuration, acceptance, and use of these embattled landscapes.