Skateboarding and the City

Iain Borden is Professor of Architecture & Urban Culture, and Vice-Dean Education, at the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture. Alongside numerous academic publications on architecture, cities, critical theory, public space, film and photography, Iain has been a skateboarder for over 40 years, and has advised numerous city authorities, charities, developers and the media about skateboarding culture and skateparks.

• IllustrationsAcknowledgments1. IntroductionSECTION ONE Skateboard Scenes2. SkateboardsScooters and SurfingOld SchoolNew School3. Living by the BoardFreaks and Geeks Everything in BetweenHome Turf and Foreign LandsBeer and BarneysPositive and LovingMiddle Age ShredAll Girl Skate JamPolycultural Practices4. Affiliate WorldsBeing ProfessionalCompanies and BrandsOrganizations and ControlBoom Boom HuckJam5. Media WorldsTruth and Screw the ConsequencesWide-Angled ViewingSkateboarding at the MoviesVideo WorldsSocial MediaSECTION TWOSkateboarding6. Found SpaceAsphalt and Concrete WavesForeversInto the Deep EndBlue Tile Obsession7. SkatopiaConcrete UtopiaMutant Wood8. Skatepark RenaissanceA New DawnPlazas and PathsTerrain VagueDIYSkatepark Worlds9. Super-Architectural SpaceBody SpaceAsk the CopingFlowProjecting10. Skate and DestroyThe City is the HardwareZero Degree ArchitectureUrban RhythmsWriting the CityDecentred ObjectsSpeaking the City11. Movement Without WordsCritical CitizensBeyond the Shiny ProductGifts of FreedomBan ThisSkateboarding is Not a CrimeSECTION THREESkate and Create12. ArtistryGraphic DesignArt Skateable SculptureCreativity13. Do It For OthersPublic SpaceMoving History Healthy LivingBuilding BusinessBuilding Lives14. Skateboarding – a Magnificent Life?ReferencesBibliographyIndex

The book is superbly researched, colorfully and beautifully illustrated, and thoroughly analyzes the topic. It has the physical appearance of an elegant coffee-table book combined with outstanding scholarship, effectively employing theory and empirical data, particularly the oral and written testimony of participants.