Skate-Park Builds, Teenaphobia and the Adolescent Need for Hang-Out Spaces: The Social Utility and Functionality of Urban Skate Parks

Myra Taylor and Umneea Khan

Journal of Urban Design, 2011, vol. 16, issue 04, 489-510

Abstract: This paper details perspectives of skateboarders on the utility and functionality of skate-parks in Western Australia. To this end, skateboarder interview data and skate-park audit data are triangulated in a mixed-method research design. The study's findings reveal that skateboarders believe adults view them as being anti-social deviant youth and their leisure pursuit of skateboarding as an undesirable pastime that requires regulation. Skateboarders also contend that as urban skate-parks double up as youth hang-out spaces, vocal adult opponents of skate-park builds often petition for them to be situated in places that do not offend public sensibilities. It is hypothesized that this social marginalization of skateboarders within the community underpins the current poor provisioning of skateboarding facilities.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1080/13574809.2011.586142

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