Ohlson, Cameron (2024) Making space for skateboarding in Groningen. Master thesis.
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MastersThesisFinalOhlsonS5519314.pdf Download (7MB) | Preview |
Abstract
The municipality of Groningen has announced that they are embracing the rapidly growing urban sport of skateboarding. The formalization of the sport of skateboarding, which tends to rely on the availability of diverse and engaging spaces, often experiences challenges on the municipal level. These challenges include lack of available space, conflicts with other residents and businesses, lack of political will, reproduction of transgressive behaviors commonly found in urban subcultures, and the exclusion of non-male participants. Despite growing research on the benefits of skateboarding, the link between skateboarding and one’s ‘right to the city’, and the sociological functions of the subculture itself, there is still a need to understand the dynamics of individual cases. A municipality may claim to be ‘skater-friendly’, but the skateboarders in the area may still experience issues such as legal or social discrimination, a lack of space to practice skateboarding safely and creatively, or a lack of agency. This thesis adds to the understanding of the complex dynamics at play when a municipality decides to embrace skateboarding. Through using a mixed-methods approach of field observation and semi-structured interviews, the case of Groningen is characterized. By identifying the needs of skateboarders through interviews and relating them to Groningen’s laws and spaces, this thesis highlights the gaps hindering Groningen from becoming a skater-friendly municipality. Then, by recommending methods to fill these remaining gaps, the thesis will serve as a toolkit that can be used to improve the environment for skateboarders not just in Groningen, but worldwide.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Degree programme: | Society, Sustainability and Planning (MSc Socio-spatial Planning) |
| Supervisor: | Ataol, O. |
| Date Deposited: | 09 Jul 2024 13:44 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Jul 2024 13:44 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4578 |
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