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Tuesday, 18 September 2007 |
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Page 8 of 12
Hostile Environments
Skateboard advocates in communities where skate-boarding is prohibited are in a predicament. There is a very real need to legitimize and gain support for one of the nation’s most popular recreational activities, but that effort is complicated in communities that have been, for one reason or another, reluctant to acknowledge that skateboarding should be encouraged. A skateboarding ban is a perceived solution to street skating, just as providing a skatepark is.
ISSUES & ANSWERS
Here are some of the issues and concerns a skatepark advocate is likely to hear at a public meeting, and some solid responses to them.
Business managers may be exhausted by what they perceive to be a constant onslaught of vandals damaging their property. The skaters often remove deterrents, like anti-skate devices that impede the use of skateable objects, and the resulting confrontations between the skateboarders and business managers only make the situation worse. It is no doubt frustrating to witness one’s brand new building or expensive marble planters being grinded on by local youth, or fickle customers turning away from one’s business because a group of skate-boarding teenagers is attracted to a nearby ledge.
Many skateboarding advocates end up taking the brunt of this frustration. Most of the “victims” in this scenario rarely, if ever, get the chance to have a meaningful dialogue with a skateboarder. To make matters worse for the skateboard advocate, the business community will generally have a long-standing relationship with the police department. The police department will be quick to act on emerging problems identified by the business community, so the advocate might consider a separate dialogue with the local police community liaisons for the area. The advocate may become a lightning rod for years of frustration over uncontrolled skateboarding downtown.
Without advocate representation, skateboarding is often defined as a “criminal activity” (namely, vandalism) and results in tickets, confiscations, and, most shamefully, in children and young adults running from police officers. It’s absolutely critical that the advocate show up at every available meeting where a ban may be discussed.
In cities that have instituted skateboarding bans, none have yielded the desired results. Criminalization turns kids seeking recreation into young adults with criminal records. Without viable options, skateboarding bans are absolutely unacceptable, yet many cities and towns pursue them unaware of the alternatives. The advocate must present practical solutions for these communities that currently rely on law enforcement to manage their area’s recreational limitations.
When addressing business leaders and property managers, there are a few facets of skateboarding that will interest them:
1. Skateboarding is incredibly popular. Dubbed “sidewalk surfing,” it began on the streets over 50 years ago and is not going away. Most towns have a diverse community of skateboarders, some of whom may be attracted to the controversial spots, and many who are not. The activity has changed and developed a great deal over the past five decades, but street skating is nothing new and skateboarders have been jumping down stairs since before the Reagan administration.
2. Policy is only one small component of the complex solution. There must also be architectural prevention, patient enforcement, and appropriate places nearby to draw it away. Policy (and policy enforcement) cannot do it alone. The community, and law-enforcement officials in particular, must adopt a more conciliatory attitude toward skateboarding and skateboarders.
3. The criminalization of an activity that is fundamentally benign is the wrong message to send youth. Instead, consider supporting their interests through the creation of skateparks and skate spots (or skate dots).
Business owners will often balk at the idea that they should be required to support the interests of kids who want to recreate downtown. Some of these approaches and techniques may help influence them to see the potential positive outcome of a community skatepark.
1. Communities all over the nation are seeing skateboarders as members of a city’s growing diversity that adds flavor to the urban environment.
2. Intentional, site-based skateboarding activity can increase after-work and weekend activity in downtown districts. Youthful activity in otherwise underutilized areas can “seed” growth.
3. Skateboarding can displace undesirable activity. A facility designed to attract athletic activity will attract athletes and discourage those who would use the space for illicit behavior.
There are a great number of solutions or compromises that may be proposed during the course of these negotiations:
1. Skate paths and areas where it is acceptable to skate for recreation. These can be developed as replicas of controversial spots where skateboarding is prohibited.
2. Skateboarding for transportation. With today’s fuel prices and increased focus on alternative forms of transportation, skateboarding is an attractive option for many downtown workers. It is also a healthy, aerobic exercise.
3. Skater-recommended techniques for mitigation. It seems contrary to skaters’ interests, but working with the business community to identify effective ways to mitigate street skating at the most controversial spots will demonstrate a willingness to participate in an equitable solution that most business communities won’t expect. It will mean a lot to them and your effort will gain an enormous amount of trust.
Offering reparations for damage will also mean a lot to those businesses impacted by a popular ledge, bank, or curb. Volunteers from the skateboarding community removing wax buildup and applying a fresh coat of paint to a popular skate spot certainly won’t prevent skateboarding activity (it might even encourage it), but the gesture will be of great value to the business owner.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 14 February 2008 )
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