Skate-park builds, teenaphobia and the adolescent need for hang-out spaces: the social utility and functionality of urban skate parks

Authors

Myra F. Taylor, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Umneea Khan

Document Type

Journal Article

School

School of Psychology and Social Science

RAS ID

12519

Comments

Taylor, M. F., & Khan, U. (2011). Skate-park builds, teenaphobia and the adolescent need for hang-out spaces: The social utility and functionality of urban skate parks. Journal of Urban Design, 16(4), 489-510. Available here

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.

DOI

10.1080/13574809.2011.586142

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