Skateboarding, gentle activism, and the animation of public space: CITE – A Celebration of Skateboard Arts and Culture at The Bentway

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the interplay of leisure, activism and the animation of public space by exploring CITE – A Celebration of Skateboard Arts and Culture, an art installation and pop-up skate park featuring skateable sculptures constructed in commemoration of Toronto skateboarder Justin Bokma. CITE, which took place in the summer of 2018, deliberately transformed The Bentway, a new public space and programming platform in Toronto which has transformed the underside of the Gardiner Expressway into a gathering place for city inhabitants, into a temporary destination where skateboarders engaged in activist, educational, and arts and cultural practices to situate the act of skateboarding within the broader context of urban placemaking. Drawing on a variety of empirical materials (e.g., interviews, videos, social media, promotional materials, press releases, observations), this case study seeks to understand how so-called ‘gentle activism’ animates public space and advances inclusive placemaking. Findings show that, through gentle activism, CITE underscored (1) the salience of arts and aesthetics in advocating for skateboarding, (2) inclusivity of programming to facilitate interaction between skateboarders and the non-skateboarding public, (3) the utilisation of programming to amplify the activist message, and (4) intentional efforts to change perceptions of skateboarders. The case reveals a successful alternative to defensive placemaking efforts.

KEYWORDS:

• Built environment
• animating public space
• defensive architecture
• recreation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Troy D. Glover

Troy D. Glover is Professor and Chair in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies and Director of the Healthy Communities Research Network at the University of Waterloo.

Sarah Munro

Sarah Munro is the Senior Manager of Programming at The Bentway Conservancy.

Immony Men

Immony Men is an assistant professor in the Digital Futures program at OCAD University and the co-director of the Public Visualization Lab.

Wes Loates

Wes Loates is a skateboader, activist, and member of Build for Bokma, a Toronto-based not-for-profit.

Ilana Altman

Ilana Altman is the Conservancy's Co-Executive Director.