Skateboarding and the City by Suram Hazarika

[Skateboarding and the City] Relevance of skateboarding to design of contemporary public city spaces

Suram Hazarika A/2114/2009

Guide- Anika Mittal Co Ordinator- P S Sugga

Skateboarding and the City

1|Page

Skateboarding and the City

2|Page

TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................................ 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................................... 7 INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH QUESTION ........................................................................................................... 8 Research question- .............................................................................................................................................. 8 Proposal- ............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Scope ................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Aim ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Methodology ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 HISTORY OF SKATEBOARDING ............................................................................................................................... 10 The Activity........................................................................................................................................................ 10 The Culture ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 A SKATERS PERCEPTION OF SPACE ........................................................................................................................ 13 Architecture as a philosophy ............................................................................................................................. 13 Types of spaces created .................................................................................................................................... 14 THE TEMPORAL NATURE OF URBAN DYNAMICS ................................................................................................... 17 Skateboarding vs. Capitalism ............................................................................................................................ 17 THE THEORY OF THE DÉRIVE ................................................................................................................................. 19 REJUVENATION AND COMMERCIALISATION ......................................................................................................... 20 THE USERS OF ‘PUBLIC’ SPACE .............................................................................................................................. 21 The Skateboarder .............................................................................................................................................. 21 The Pedestrian .................................................................................................................................................. 21 The Motorist...................................................................................................................................................... 22 THE FUTURE OF SKATEBOARDING IN INDIA .......................................................................................................... 23 Current Scenario................................................................................................................................................ 23 Potential ............................................................................................................................................................ 23 CASE STUDIES ........................................................................................................................................................ 25

Skateboarding and the City

3|Page

Freemotionsk8, Delhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first skate park. .................................................................................................... 25

II.

Amsterdam, A skateboarderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paradise .................................................................................................... 28

III) How skate friendly a city is Delhi? ................................................................................................................ 32 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................................... 35 Design Directives ............................................................................................................................................... 35 Better pedestrian network and universal accessibility ....................................................................................... 36 References ............................................................................................................................................................ 37

Skateboarding and the City

4|Page

DECLARATION

The research work embodied in this dissertation entitled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Skateboarding and the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has been carried out by the undersigned as part of the undergraduate Dissertation programme in the Department of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, under the supervision of Ms Anika Mittal. The undersigned hereby declares that this is his original work and has not been plagiarised in part or full form from any source.

Suram Hazarika Fourth Year Undergraduate Student School of Planning and Architecture (12th November 2014)

Skateboarding and the City

5|Page

ABSTRACT Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard. Skateboarding can also be considered a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. In any case, you can see that it isn’t limited to a certain category because of its versatility. There are over 11.08 million active skateboarders in the world today and the skateboarding industry is worth 4.8 billion dollars. These numbers are only growing every year. Skateboarding and architecture are intrinsically related. Without the plazas, squares, sidewalks and streets that we architects/ planners design and build, where else would these skaters find a place to skate. The average pedestrian engages architecture and urban space at only one level, while skateboarders engage at multiple functional levels. A passerby sees a bench and sits on it? Exactly what the architect and designer intended. A skateboarder sees a bench and contemplates. How many different ways can I engage the form of this bench with my wooden board, metal trucks and four rubber wheels? A skateboarder does not discriminate on the basis of axis rather he treats all surfaces with equal vigor, engaging everything every which way he can. An argument can be made that they are the most functional users of this architecture. Similar to the homeless in the city, they engage architecture with a purist’s devotion, optimizing every nuance of the urban realm. The physical activity skateboarding entails makes it a moderately intense aerobic activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Whether you’re performing daring tricks or cruising down the sidewalk, skateboarding burns calories and improves your health. A 150 minutes of skateboarding in a week is very healthy for an individual. (Mack, 2014) This comes to around twenty odd minutes a day. In fact, if the entire skater population of the city took action and skated between the BRTS and MRTS stations and their homes and used mass transit options instead, that would be a tremendous load off the Delhi road network. And that is only one of the benefits will benefit the pedestrian as much as it will the skater. In fact, the effective implementation of the policies will ensure universal accessibility. The pedestrian network will be a safe and pleasant place for the differently abled also. That in itself is a huge step forward from the rarely used stretches of concrete we have for pavements at the moment. This is the first step to promote a mutual understanding between cyclists, pedestrians, skaters and the disabled by allowing them to share and use the same space in harmony. Seeing as how skateboarders tend to take care of their runs and spots, the NMT’s in Delhi will also have better chances of being in a good state of repairs. This can be the first step towards a city where people on the street understand each other better regardless of their mode of conveyance. A step towards a Delhi that is both safe to walk in, and more civil.

Skateboarding and the City

6|Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I extend my deepest gratefulness towards the institute, friends and faculty for helping and guiding me towards the successful completion of the research project. I thank my guide, Ms. Anika Mittal, whose patience and understanding directed my research ahead and her valuable feedbacks always lending a new perspective. My regards and thanks to our coordinators Dr. Jaya Kumar, Dr. Leon Morenas, Dr. Shweta Manchanda and Prof. Prabhjot Singh Sugga, for their impartial opinions and advices in achieving a better understanding of research methods. Lastly, I would like to thank my friends and family for their love and support in the hours of informal discussions which helped me broaden my views and complete my research successfully.

Suram Hazarika

Skateboarding and the City

7|Page

INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH QUESTION Relevance of skateboarding to design of contemporary public city spaces.

Research questionKeeping in mind the rising number of young skateboarding enthusiasts in the city, what do we stand to learn from this urban sport that can be applied while designing public spaces in Delhi today.

ProposalThe modern day urban sport enthusiast sees the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban landscape with a completely different perspective from that of an architect. The average pedestrian engages architecture and urban space at only one level, while skateboarders engage at multiple functional levels. A passerby sees a bench and sits on it? Exactly what the architect and designer intended. A skateboarder sees a bench and contemplates. How many different ways can I engage the form of this bench with my wooden board, metal trucks and four rubber wheels? First, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do a rail slide. Then perhaps a grind, regular then goofy footed, maybe into a rail slide. Lastly, perhaps a tail slide and then continue down the street until the next obstacle. They operate tactically, adjusting to the environment like a soldier in the jungle. This unique perspective of their environment is the essential difference between the pedestrian and skateboarder. For instance, a conventional wall generally differs from other surfaces due to its vertical orientation. A skateboarder does not discriminate on the basis of axis rather all surfaces are treated with equal vigor, engaging everything every which way he can. An argument can be made that they are the most functional users of this architecture. Similar to the homeless in the city, they engage architecture with a puristâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s devotion, optimizing every nuance of the urban realm. What does architecture become when it no longer performs its intended function? Or when it performs several functions, not built into the design and how do we map these relationships which are not static but dynamic exchanges between the architecture and user? Do architects need to address this exchange (eg. Koolhaas) or is it out of our hands to script them, these are the questions I will try to answer during the course of my dissertation. In Delhi, skate parks and skate shops are opening up at many different places. Film personalities like Arunoday Singh are enthusiasts and practitioners of the sport of parkour. Even with an ardent lack of literature in the topic, research on architects who are attempting to create such places (OMA), regular site visits to in-city skate parks (Neb Sarai), resource materials on skate park design, research on the sport and its practitioners besides various online resources can help me attempt to document these dynamic relationships between public architecture and its user.

Skateboarding and the City

8|Page

The study will not only give us tremendous insight on newer forms of spaces, but this will also be an effort to demonstrate how encouraging the activity of skateboarding can make the city safer, create a sense of community and develop the â&#x20AC;&#x153;neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;? concept besides encouraging the use of mass transit options.

Scope The scope of my study will be to study existing practitioners of skateboarding in the city and see how they make use of the spaces that we have already. Additionally I will document my conversations and interaction with Tom Rhijn, an active skateboarder and skate shop owner from Amsterdam to show the difference in perspective of users of public architecture in an environment where skateboarding has existed for a long time. However, lack of critical documentation of the sport in India and also the difficulty in finding literature on the topic will be the major limitations. Besides, possible inaccuracy may result due to the scarcity of active skateboarders in the city. That will limit the study to certain opinions, either generated by pedestrians and /or the motorists which will not exist in an ideal scenario where skating on the streets is normal.

Aim To explore the potential of new programs and spaces while designing public spaces, keeping in mind the context of the city of Delhi and provide certain directives to make the city more skate friendly.

Methodology A large selection of literature in the form of skateboarding magazines is readily available. Besides, more credible sources such as texts by Iain Borden and Lefebvre also help provide a fair understanding of the importance of public spaces. More relevant to the particular case of Delhi, reports by NGOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and documented safety audits tell us the problems that people, especially women face every day in public spaces and how these spaces can be made safer. Besides the reading material, a few primary case studies have been conducted. Skate shops and skate parks are cropping out all over the place in Delhi. Quicksilver outlets are bringing top quality boards to the capital and youngsters are taking notice. French company, Oxelo has brought its skate team to India where they have skated the streets of Delhi, Bangalore and Jaipur. The entire process has been documented. This is helping me understand the basic response that the activity generates in the locals.

Skateboarding and the City

9|Page

HISTORY OF SKATEBOARDING The Activity The first skateboarders were the surfers of California in the late 40s and early 50s who wanted something fun to do when the surf was down. This led to the creation of the first skateboard which was nothing more than a wooden plank with roller skate wheels attached to the bottom. A WAC, Betty Magnuson happened to see some French children riding wooden boxes with wheels attached to them in Paris all the way back in 1944. Somehow, the boxes turned to planks and soon companies were manufacturing boards with pressed layers of wood to provide the Los Angeles surf stores with the first skateboards that were really meant for surfers to use in their downtime. However, the idea soon caught on and had a loyal group of enthusiasts who were motivated enough to take the idea through. By the 1960’s, small surfing manufacturers such as Jack's, Hobie, Kips', Makaha and Bing's started building skateboards that resembled small surfboards, and assembled teams to promote these products. This led to the mass popularization of the sport . Suddenly, companies were sponsoring exhibitions and events, keen to make use of the new market and its growing potential. Fan following led to the creation of the first skateboarding magazine, “ The Quarterly Skateboarder”. In the words of the publisher, John Severson, “Today's skateboarders are founders in this sport—they're pioneers—they are the first. There is no history in Skateboarding—its being made now—by you. The sport is being molded and we believe that doing the right thing now will lead to a bright future for the sport. Already, there are storm clouds on the horizon with opponents of the sport talking about ban and restriction.”

Skateboarding and the City

10 | P a g e

The magazine lasted only a year, or four issues but the sport caught on. Even though skateboarding has had an on and off relation with the public in the United States where it developed, it has always found a way to re appear into the scene sometime later. A lot of this has to do with the development of the sport into varied disciplines, the discovery of new tricks and innovation in board design through technical breakthroughs in science.

The Culture This becomes increasingly evident as we trace the chronological evolution of skateboarding. The sport reached the peak of its erstwhile popularity in around 1963. However, skateboarding took a sudden plunge in around 1965. A lot of the new skate companies were going bankrupt and folding down. This made it difficult for skateboarding enthusiasts of the time because they had to resort to using clay wheels and their own makeshift boards. The general public was unfazed and though that skateboarding had come to its end and was only another fad like hula hoops. This brings us to the most important evolution in the history of skateboarding. In 1972, Frank Nasworthy came up with a brand new wheel design, made of extremely tough polyurethane. These wheels changed the entire skateboarding industry. The difference in control, tactility and maneuverability were so great that skaters could now ride almost anywhere and were free to develop multitudes of new disciplines and tricks. Finally, in the spring of 1975, a team of skaters, known as the Z boys, or Team Zephyr, showed the world what skateboarding had the potential to be. At a freeride and slalom contest (Ocean Festival, Del Mar, California), this group of skateboarders would ride like no one had ridden in public eye before. The Z boys comprised of skateboarding legends like Tommy Alva, Stacy Peralta and Jay Adams who would soon be immortalized, their legacy strong. These greats paved the way for the future of skateboarding which once again picked up in the United States. The new edgy, low to floor kind of skateboarding was the first time where skateboarding added a strong anti-establishment sentiment which we can still see today. The next important development was a new trick, named the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ollieâ&#x20AC;?, after its inventor, Alan Gelfand. This trick as mentioned before made it possible for skaters to skate almost anywhere and gave them a freedom never before realized. The ability to lift the board into air with a simple kicking motion would define the way skateboarding would develop in the future. Nowadays, almost all tricks employ the Ollie and are more of less variations of the basic move. The trick singlehandedly paved the way for modern skateboarding. Soon however, by the end of the 70â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, skateboarding faced its second slump in popularity. Because of the somewhat dangerous nature of the sport, insurance rates started spiraling up. Lesser and lesser people frequented skate parks and led to many of them being closed.

Nevertheless, skaters found a way to skate as always in spite of the problems that they faced. Also the popularity of the VCR, made skating instantly reachable to scores of young impressionable

Skateboarding and the City

11 | P a g e

teenagers through the extensive release of videos, of tutorials and tricks, of documentaries and shorts. This played a big role in getting the attention of bigger companies like Nike who saw an opening in the market which was clearly dominated by the homegrown brands owned by skaters like DC and Vans. Mass propaganda helped the sport to grow and develop further. Stacy Peralta and George Powell got a group of talented young skaters together, naming them the Bones Brigade. Stacy also had a talent for filming which led to The Bones Brigade Video Show. The team included Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill, Stacy Peralta, and Kevin Staab, among piles of other huge named skaters. Peralta didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop with the videos, releasing Future Primitive in 1985, and Search for Animal Chin in 1987. This is when skateboarding began to permeate into other things like music and fashion, developing slowly into an entire subculture. However, by the 90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, skateboarding once again took a plunge in popularity. We do realize that even with the ups and downs, every time skateboarding has taken a fall, the fall has been lesser. With the whole punk rock music scene changing the way skateboarders were seen and looked upon, it became a very edgy culture. The first X Games in Rhode Island made the sport marketable and mainstream, much to the dismay of regular skaters. They were concerned about the freedom of the sport. It did of course have its positive side. With the money pouring into the sport now, there were now more skate parks, skaters and skateboarding companies to keep innovating newer materials and technologies. Rapid commercialization also saw the image of the skateboarder as a punk or criminal being torn down and breaking through their marginalized condition. Skateboarding today happens on the streets, back where it began. The evolution of the sport has seen many ups and downs but all in a relatively short while. One safe assumption is that this is a sport about personal discovery pushing boundaries. This is why it is hard to say how the sport will evolve in the future.

Skateboarding and the City

12 | P a g e

A SKATERS PERCEPTION OF SPACE Architecture as a philosophy

“The relationship between philosophy and architecture not only works to position one in relation to the other, it also opens up the possibility that one may already be figuring in and thus would already be present within the other.” Andrew Benjamin

“Surely it is the supreme illusion to defer to architects, urbanists or planners as being experts or ultimate authorities in matters relating to space.” Henri Lefebvre

The two statements above are of deep significance. Whereas Benjamin implies that architecture and philosophy, behind it and otherwise are in fact ingrained in one another, Lefebvre says that architecture (and thus philosophy) does not always (and maybe shouldn’t) be a part of critical thinking. What if we were to rethink philosophy (and architecture) away from the academic or metaphysical practice and relate it instead with the more mundane, quotidian practices and procedures of everyday life…What happens to the architect and to architecture when people, their appropriations of space, the space of their bodies, and representations through their lived experiences are brought to bear on consciously designed construction as manifestations of philosophy, as an everyday practice? Can skateboarding, a wholly bodily activity creates its own apparent space through the act of skateboarding in (spite?) the architecture, that we architects and designers have clothed the urban environment in? We can begin by looking at how skateboarding at the onset was just an attempt to emulate surfing moves on hard surfaces when the surf was flat. Because of this, we can look at skateboarding, at least in its origin to have been an activity that was both original and simulative. Original because it was a whole new idea, a whole new concept and terrain, however, in its roots, it was always trying to emulate the feel of the act of surfing and the ocean. Slowly, as the skateboarding phenomenon grew, practitioners started copying moves from surfing and using them while skateboarding. As skaters grew, so did the moves. Everyone was trying to break out from the monotony. Besides the inherent skill required to perform these moves, skaters also wanted a sense of individuality, to develop a personal style. This led to new moves, new ways of

Skateboarding and the City

13 | P a g e

doing old moves, a whole new unchartered world of things. The stage was the world. Skaters could now find new routes, paths, obstacles in the entire “urban realm”. This was however in the later stages. After the surfers decided to make the transition, preferred venues for skating would often be secluded parks, unused drains and of the course, the swimming pool. Los Angeles, particularly the Hollywood Hills and the other more wealthy districts of Santa Monica, Malibu and Pacific Palisades, had many substantial individual homes, many of which had swimming pools. It is this architectural resource which skaters exploited, following the mythologized discovery by Gary Swanson in his own backyard Santa Monica pool that, once drained of water, such pools offer a curved transition from base to wall up which the skateboarder could ride. Pools known to skaters by such names as Dog Bowl, Egg Bowl, Fruit Bowl, Manhole, Canyon Pool, Gonzo’s, Teardrop and the Soul Bowl7 offered an extreme terrain on which surf-related skating could take place. (Burger, 2010)

Types of spaces created Skating in pools creates a relationship between the architecture and the skater. Because of the form of the fool, a sort of concave plane allowed skaters to emulate their favourite move from surfing, the carve, where they ride along the sloping banks of the pool just like they did on a wave. Also, because of the rigid nature of the form, a skater experienced the architecture behind the pool, a mundane object in far greater detail. When the skater rode along the length of the pool, he would make a transition from wall to floor to wall. This would make him physically experience the concaveness of the pool through the forces exerted on him centrifugally and centripetally. The sudden compression of hitting the bottom transition of the pool and vice versa as he rides up the wall makes the skateboarder perceive of the space in a different light as compared to a pool in general. Another important facet is the materiality of spaces. The contact of the skateboard with the pure surface of the pool brings about a different sort of engagement. Here the micro architecture of grain and cracks become evident, translated into body space through judder (from wheels, to deck, to feet and upward), slide or grip and above all – noise. The skateboarder’s run on the clear white wall creates a mono-tonal hum, so near silence yet so clearly audible that it creates a dramatic calm as compared to the shuddering, the great uproar caused by the hard wheels rushing over coloured ceramic tile and the metal of the trucks grinding over the concrete coping of the edges. This aural experience reminds us that space can also be listened for, besides seen. Sometimes we might be able to “hear” a space far before it becomes seen, like a chowk here. Coming out of the subdued roads within the colony, a pedestrian can often hear the noise of hustle and bustle of the busy chowk where he goes to do his grocery shopping far before he can physically see it at times. This much is about physical space as seen by skateboarders. It constitutes of the first territory in question- Found space.

Skateboarding and the City

14 | P a g e

The second territory that the text deals with is that of Constructed space. There is nothing much that will be relevant to our current scenario because this space has exclusively been built for skateboarding, like skate parks, ramps, pools, half-pipes and arenas. Seeing as it helps us learn more on the topic of building for skateboarders, it still makes for interesting reading. Apparently, skateboarders are the only practitioners of any activity that have actively campaigned against it from being included in the Olympics. This goes a long way in telling us about the general attitude of skateboarders and their way of thinking. Skateboarding cannot be called a sport because for most practitioners, skating is a way of life, a philosophy of its own. It has its own distinct sub culture, its own music scene, its own fashion in clothes and apparel and most of all, skate shoe design. Fellow skaters from London will probably have more in common (and thus be more connected) with skaters in New Mexico rather than other non-skaters from their own city. This happens because of the huge community of skaters online who actively upload new content, from photos, to videos, how to do’s and tutorials and a wide plethora of other material. Skate communities, professional skater blogs, forums and fan clubs, these are all great ways for skaters to stay connected. This group is in a way a little marginalized from society because of the legal implications of skating in public places. Thus they are restricted to skate parks and other constructed spaces built especially for skating, most of which have timings and regulations. Most places have operating hours of 11-7. This doesn’t allow a lot of veteran skaters from the pioneers of the 70’s and 80’s to skate after office hours. Also, the parks are open only a few days a week, Wednesday through Saturday. That too, for only the months of May to August as these were the months where most teenagers, the prevalent age group of practitioners, would be out of school on vacations. This leads to a great deal of dissatisfaction amongst skaters who thus choose to skate on the streets even with the bans on them. Constructed space however leads us to the rather interesting third territory- The Spaces of Representation. So far the discussion has been largely based upon the act of skateboarding as an activity, a spatial invention that is restricted to the confines of body and the terrain. However representational space is something which will probably be easier for the non-skater to contemplate. I had brought about the topic of how skaters are a deeply connected community with their own distinct subculture and ideology. With the advent of wide angle lenses, skateboarding photography became something of a genre in itself. Though the telephoto is the preferred lens of choice for most sports, skateboarding photography deals with getting close to the action but nonetheless getting a feel for the location where the act is taking place. As skateboarding got more extreme, experienced practitioners did “aerials”, a move where the skateboarder would shoot off the vertical wall of an obstacle with a precise play of balance, timing and momentum. This allowed photographers using wide angle lenses to get really close to them at the top of the obstacle and catch them in midair while the lenses would also scope the location to give the larger picture. At times this immediacy even becomes directly evidenced in the photograph itself: for example, one of Glen E. Friedman’s earliest hardcore images of skateboarding -- of Jay Adams in the Teardrop pool -- shows his own foot at the base of the images, caught in the same frame as the explosive skater. This shows a different perspective of skateboarding photography, the photographer is not just a distant observer recording the event with an external gaze. He is as much part of the event as the skateboarder, spatially, intimately and socially related to the activity in front of their lenses. These images would often be Skateboarding and the City

15 | P a g e

exaggerated for use in print media or online publications however the act would remain the same. People would start relating to places displayed in these pictures and of skaters. This would lead to the same aura of these places as non-skaters have of popular places. A skater from London could think and talk of the Dam Square in Amsterdam as a “slick” spot for skating just as a non-skater would talk of the Eiffel Tower in Paris as being a great place to visit. The same may be applied to particular features of constructed spaces such as skate parks, which, as designated rather than discovered terrains are usually infused with a conscious, representational quality. This is usually the case for the special attraction features- most often the centre piece pool- usually with a welldeserved reputation for danger and difficulty. In any case, this is why skateboarding avenues and parks take on such a territorialized persona about them. Locals treat a lot of skate parks and in particular elements within them as belonging to them. In fact, skaters from elsewhere are treated with emotions ranging from disdain to aggression. For them, the skate park is different from the image that the outsider skater has in his mind of it. For the locals, repeated use of the park has taken away from it any external aura that the outsider might have perceived. The skater poses multiple threats hereBoth of interfering with the skating of the locals, and very likely, that of skating better. He is both a nuisance and a potential rival. The local has invested time in this park; he has a long history, which is often painful, associated with the elements here. His attachment is both physical and emotional. For a skater, these are spaces of representation. (Borden, 1998) These three classifications of spaces which can be better perceived from the skater’s point of view show us how we can make minimal design elements make maximum impact on the user, a skater while designing public spaces. Places like parking lots, generally uninhabited areas can be ‘found’, they can be rejuvenated by means of skating. Certain spots have to be provided, so that any skater has a basic minimal infrastructure to depend upon if nothing else. The third and possibly the most important of all are spaces of representation as these leave make the most impact. Skateboarding has to be marketed. Its health benefits could be publicized, skateboarding events could be organized. Workshops could be integrated into schools. The potential is tremendous.

Skateboarding and the City

16 | P a g e

THE TEMPORAL NATURE OF URBAN DYNAMICS Building for the future Exploring the question of building for the future with a direct reference to the act of skateboarding brings to light the fact that no matter what we know about the city, a part of it remains unknown, temporal. This is the future of the city. The future cannot be predicted because of the countless interconnections that the city has in itself...the inhabitants, the workers; the environments all have a role to play in making it so. We cannot design or even plan for a condition that we know nothing about. Thus, as designers, we must plan for a scenario where flexibility is a must. We cannot blindly propose a definitive model, one which is decision taken by our future selves. We have to be both practical and theoretical in our approach. Skateboarding has been said to be a search for the unknown...the statement brings to light the facet of the sport which forever strives to find something new in the mundane. It asks its practitioners to look at things with a new/different perspective thus ensuring the freshness of the sport. There are a million different ways a skateboarder can engage a space. It's in trying to determine a new route, a new course, a new way of doing the old that brings out the true spirit of the sport. Thus, the philosophy behind skateboarding can help us, architects, realize this temporal nature of things as we watch and observe them make use of the same space in different ways. They help us see new axes that we may not have noticed the first time. Or a new distribution of levels. Anything is possible. Capitalism creates differential abstract space all the time. No spaces or their relation to context is usually permanent. A simultaneous dissolution of previous inter-relations as well as the generation of newer ones leads to a forever changing scenario. For example, The Nirula’s outlet in the community Centre close to the hostel, NFC, recently closed and was merged with the adjoining Dominoes’. The erstwhile Domino’s was a delivery joint and as such largely unfrequented leading to that corner of the building being isolated in the manner that it was dark and empty with not too many of the usual flashing neon signboards. However, with the opening of the new larger Domino’s with the option of eating in, the character of the space has changed completely. Thus, these inter space dynamics is an ever changing process.

Skateboarding vs. Capitalism Skateboarding is an activity that actively challenges and often disagrees with the mechanics of political and urban life. It brings to light that activity instead of passivity, pleasure instead of work might possibly dictate the architecture of tomorrow. From the early 1980’s, skateboarding has taken on a more urban character and is now more confrontational of architecture. And also of the economic logic behind the abstract space brought about by capitalism that we had discussed about above.

Skateboarding and the City

17 | P a g e

Around 1984, skaters in Los Angeles began their gradual descent into town centres and sidewalks, from the Santa Monica valley and the suburban houses and their pools. They were not hidden from view anymore, they were skating in plain sight. In university campuses, across public squares and plazas, the skateboarder of the late 80’s was a performance artist in the street. With the new trick in their ensemble, the “Ollie”, a move where the skateboarder can jump over obstacles by “popping” his board, which means hitting it sharply at the rear end with his foot and jump off it in the same instance, thus making the board rise in the air. Then, friction and momentum bring the board level again. This allowed skaters to ride anything on their path, from steps to street furniture. In the words of Stacy Peralta, skateboard manufacturer and ex-professional skater,

“Skaters can exist on the essentials of what is out there. Anything is part of the run. For urban skaters the city is the hardware on their trip.”

In this way, skateboarders were “counter inhabiting” hitherto unused and uninhabited places such as parking lots, streets and footpaths. Some of these areas are habitually not used but they still remain public space. Skaters often use the ambiguity of ownership in such situations. They display their actions to the public in large. This has an effect on the surrounding architecture, the urban fabric. This effect has been documented at Neb Sarai, the location of Delhi’s first skate park. An interesting concept is also that we, in spite of all the progress we have made in our cities, have no sense of style, of substance, of urban living. We bow to the commoditized lifestyles prevalent in fashion, food, etc. but we are actually surrounded in emptiness with nothing but signs around us. Skateboarding relates to a future where a person relates to his surroundings with a direct engagement with its spaces. This is the person who thereby creates the city. (Borden, 2001) This also leads us to another interesting topic, that, of the Dérive.

Skateboarding and the City

18 | P a g e

THE THEORY OF THE DÉRIVE This is a very interesting topic of discussion and has a great deal to do with the everyday dynamics of skateboarding in the city. The dérive is technique of rapid transition through varied ambiences. In a dérive, a person or a group drop their work, leisure activities and their relations for movement and action and let themselves be drawn to the terrain and the environment that they are enveloped in. Chance doesn’t have much to do with it as from a dérive perspective, cities have definite psychogeographical nodes, contours, currents and vortexes that discourage entry into or exit from certain zones. An urban neighbourhood isn’t determined by strictly geographical or economic factors but also by the image that its own inhabitants and those of other neighnourhoods have of it. (Lauwe, 1952). Another illustration that could further prove this point is a study conducted by Chambart de Lauwe where he diagrams the movements of a French student in Paris over a year only to realize that the itinerary formed a triangle, the vertices of which were here university, her residence and the home of her piano teacher. This helped him prove his point of demonstrating the narrowness of the real Paris inhabited by an individual. The lessons drawn from dérives enable us to draft the first surveys of the psychogeographical articulations of a modern city. Besides discovering a certain unity of typology and a certain spatial localization, one comes to perceive their principal axes of passage, their exits and their defenses. We notice certain psychogeographical nodal points. The distances that actually separate two regions of a city may have little or no relation with the physical distance between themUsing the help of google maps, satellite photographs and dérives, one can draw maps of influences or mood maps, maps whose inevitable imprecision at this early stage is certainly not worse than that of the earliest navigational charts. There is however an important difference. We are no longer precisely drafting countries and continents, but the story of changing urbanism and architecture. (Debord, 1958) This is where skate boarding comes into the picture. Skateboarding isn’t very different from a derive exercise. Depending on whether the spatial field of the exercise is to study a terrain or to emotionally disorient oneself, derives differ in scope and scale. Skateboarding offers the user direct interaction with the terrain under one’s feet besides giving one reason to explore new skate spots, runs or even commute between two. Thus, any skater also develops a spatial understanding of his/her city automatically just through the activity of skating. This happens because the user is more involved with the terrain through this new activity than he had ever been when he was walking or driving. Skateboarding enforces the need to notice one’s surroundings in greater detail and thus encourage more interaction with one’s environment. A skater shares direct engagement with the spaces in his city and thereby is in a position to create the city in his own image. A growing population of skaters in a city would basically mean that we have at least a marginalized section of the inhabitants who have a definite understanding of the image of at least part of the city as compared to users who only inhabit the spaces created in this urban fabric instead of living in them.

Skateboarding and the City

19 | P a g e

REJUVENATION AND COMMERCIALISATION If we are to completely understand the impact of skateboarding in an urban environment, we must hold a very non biased view towards both the activity of skateboarding and its role to play in the modern city. We must question our notions of ownership and be able to notice the new exclusionary nature of public space. We should also look into how defensive architecture is now setting limits (mostly without the users realizing this,) on how we use these so called “public spaces”. When we talk about an activity like skateboarding, it obviously will have its own set of implications on the environment and the other users of the space. The author maintains that skateboarding is in a way critique of negative architectural space, spaces that have been left unused or misused. The activity began in unused parking lots, redevelopment areas and drained swimming pools. All these are examples of spaces that are not in regular use or are largely unfrequented. The activity of skateboarding sometimes acts to rejuvenate the space. In a way, at least a tiny marginalized section of society finds a way to put these spaces to use. Another interesting point not raised before is that of commercialization. Before 1995, skateboarding was almost illegal in the US. However, I draw your attention to the parallel that it was also not very marketable at the time. None the less, skateboarding had a huge and growing underground population of enthusiasts, mostly the most impressionable consumers- teenagers. Soon companies, even large corporations like Nike began to take notice as they were losing too many prospective clients. They noticed the huge potential in the field. Skateboarders remained loyal to the home grown rooted brands but never the less, this caused a dramatic shift in the way skateboarding was perceived across the US and led to mass marketing propaganda. Not only did skateboarding become more popular, it became profitable, a multimillion dollar industry. The XGames was conceived of. Never before had a skateboarder referred to skateboarding as extreme before. However, the new appeal to the masochistic extreme tag only led to heighten the craze regarding skateboarding. Video games like Tony Hawk Pro Skater suddenly took the world by storm. (Howell, 2001) A lot of varied perspectives are offered in different texts, which helps one develop one’s own largely unbiased perspective on the topic. In any case, we realize that in order for skateboarding to be marketed in the right way, we could use factors such as these, the rejuvenation of unused spots or the health benefits of the activity. The physical activity skateboarding entails makes it a moderately intense aerobic activity according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Whether you’re performing daring tricks or cruising down the sidewalk, skateboarding burns calories and improves your health. A 150 minutes of skateboarding in a week is very healthy for an individual. (Mack, 2014) On the other hand, a new industry is generated along with the new market. This will fuel the possibility of employment generation in this sector making the marketing potential immense.

Skateboarding and the City

20 | P a g e

THE USERS OF ‘PUBLIC’ SPACE The Skateboarder The skateboarder can be classified as anyone who skates by means of a skateboard regardless of his skill level. This means that different types of skateboarders require different environments. An amateur skater would like to have a uniform paved area which is not essentially crowded whereas a skater who more technically skilled could skate almost anywhere given that the terrain is right. He doesn’t ask for much. However, the difference between the way a skater thinks and how a pedestrian thinks is vastly different. Humans walk, they always have. The very act of walking has become something that most of us do without noticing anymore. This is the single biggest difference between a pedestrian and a skateboarder. The skateboarder’s entire connection with his environment occurs through his board. The way the board moves over the terrain helps him experience the place for what it is. An example might help clear this concept better. Any pedestrian would swear by the flatness and uniformity of the spotless tiled or marble clad floors of a shopping mall. Only a skater would be able to feel the innumerable defects in level and slope that the floor actually has. I have personally documented this in the Ambience mall, Vasant Kunj. Skateboards are readily available at the Vans and Quicksilver outlets there and anyone willing to put the flatness of the mall floors to test is welcome to go and try skating there. As such, skateboarding opens up our eyes and perception about many things in our immediate environment that we may not notice otherwise.

The Pedestrian The pedestrian in our discussion would be classified as anyone who frequents the pedestrian paths and spots we are talking about, albeit without a skateboard. This group of people will be larger and prior consideration has to be made for this. A pedestrian needs to feel equally safe even with the new skateboarding enthusiasts sharing their space. In fact, they should in effect feel even safer now. That would be the ideal situation. Certain studies (Howell, 2001) demonstrate that pedestrians most often do not feel safe in a skate spot because they feel that their personal space is being invaded by skateboarders. However, in India, the general public is far more accommodating. This fact is illustrated by a questionnaire I had prepared for the residents and shopkeepers at Neb Sarai, home to Delhi’s lone dedicated skate park. The majority of people were unfazed by hordes of street children rushing about on skate boards during weekends (courtesy of the free workshop provided by Steve Weightman, the proprietor of the establishment). Nobody seems to have any particular problem with it. In fact, Rahul Sharma, the owner of an establishment, K.D. Enterprises, which is almost next to the Plaza where the skate park is located has his own say on this,” I love the fact that Steve has taken out time to involve the

Skateboarding and the City

21 | P a g e

kids here. I’d love to have a child skateboard on the streets around my house and work than have delinquents who spend their time doing other activities…” Besides, people in India don’t seem to have a problem with the safety concerns either. Paresh Mordani, another shop owner says,” There are enough pedestrians who cross the busy traffic laden Delhi streets on a regular basis, with cars rushing at them at 80 kmph for them to be bothered by kids riding wooden boards on them!” (Mordani, 2014) I would like to bring to light the fact that cycles have not always been around and when they first appeared on the scene, people were just as taken aback. However, it is a widely known means of conveyance and also an active sport today. Skateboarding may not have its roots in India but India is an accommodating nation and there is no doubt that skateboarding can also find a home here. The most interesting thing about the pedestrians exposed to skateboarding here is that no one seems to get upset by it. Most people are interested, some are puzzled but for the most part, everyone is intrigued by it. Steve Weightman, the owner of Delhi’s first skate park says that here is the only place where he sees people as old as 28-30 come in to skate for the first time. This is unquestionable anywhere else in the world, where people mostly start skating young. However, this openness and interest in the Indian public regarding this new sport is what helps generates confidence in the idea that any new programs where skateboarders and pedestrians have to share a common space will be for the most part without conflict. Once the phenomenon is commonplace enough to be called normal, even the unrest that might be caused by passersby constantly stopping to ask skaters “what exactly they’re doing” and “what it the contraption they’re riding called”, everything will be truly, normal.

The Motorist This particular group, which includes anything on wheels with or without the combination of feet is particularly interesting. Going by my proposal which involves skaters and pedestrians sharing a common overall pedestrian space, the motorist should not be involved at all. However, the traffic scene in Delhi sees bikers sharing cycle tracks with mules. This means that we need to critically analyze whether we need to enforce the ownership of these spaces by means of skating and making it difficult for them or whether this behavior of the motorist is non solvable given the number of them on the streets. With implementation of design elements such as skate spots and skate dots along a road network which connects them all, skating can be made easier and more accessible. The designer need to keep in mind that safety is of primary importance. Motorists should not conventionally be allowed on NMT’s at all but in case they do, a minimum buffer of half a metre should be left between the edge of the track and any planters. This could be grass or sand, basically anything that will cut the fall of a skater, pedestrian or a motorist in case of an accidental collision on the pavement. The fact remains that motorists will find skaters a nuisance but only when they use the NMT network, which they technically cannot use. Therefore enforcing complete pedestrian dominance over them is necessary

Skateboarding and the City

22 | P a g e

THE FUTURE OF SKATEBOARDING IN INDIA Current Scenario Skateboarding has had a late start in this country but everything has not been so slow. There are hordes of active practitioners in the country. Bangalore has a club which got together a huge sponsorship from a skate company, Vans, to help build them a skate park, which they actively maintain. Delhi also has its own skate park, small, but fully customizable and with its own quarter pipe, skate and repair shop, Freemotion Sk8. A huge number of people frequent the place. Soon gathering notice, it also has its own band of loyalists who know every run of the park and also actively volunteer in skateboarding workshops, both in schools, as well as to the street children in the neighborhood who have free access to the park for a few hours every Sunday.

Skate companies Vans and Quicksilver are quite the rage at the moment. Everyone is wearing skate shoes, regardless of whether they skate or not. In any case, skateboarding has never had it so good here before. A lot of kids get their own boards of international standards off the rack of small toy stores these days. This, in a country where a 5 year old boy holds the world limbo record for skating under a car without touching it on a pair of roller skates. Skateboarding may have taken its time but roller skating has always been popular. The young Indians of today are more adventurous, going on camping, trekking and rafting trips. New edgy sports are eagerly welcomed.

Potential The initial introduction to the dissertation had briefly elucidated how/why the activity of skateboarding is important to the field of design as it helps us keep alternate perspectives in mind. This topic concerns itself more with the impact skateboarding can have on the city of Delhi itself if the sport is embraced by the people here and effective measures are taken to promote the same. First we must look at the basic requirements that a skateboarder requires in order to skate. There is just one- a uniform hard paved surface, which Delhi has a lot of such as cycle tracks, plazas and NMTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. As such, these spots could be classified into two categories, skate spots and skate dots. Any spot that is apt for skateboarding that is less than 500 sqft in diameter is a skate dot and any that is larger is called a skate spot. Keeping this in mind, a spot like the plaza in front of the IP park entry gate would be an amazing venue for a skate spot. It is not crowded most of the time and is rarely in use for any activity. Actively promoting skateboarding at the site could help rejuvenate the atmosphere at the spot.

Skateboarding and the City

23 | P a g e

We must understand that skateboarding doesn’t really need a fixed venue for one to skate. A skateboarder will find any way to skate regardless of small hindrances. However, the point of the dissertation is to find out a way in which a skateboarder would want to skate in the city. Also, the added design measures implemented would ensure that pedestrians need not worry about this new activity that shares its territory with them. It is not necessary to completely separate the two, space for pedestrians and space for skateboarders. The common shared space will promote more interaction between the two different sets of users, one of the highlights of this new space utilization concept. A pedestrian walks in lines along a certain path to get from point ‘a’ to ‘b’. A skateboarder could choose to do the same or he/she could spend more time just skating one spot. Keeping this in mind, skate spots/dots could serve the function of the spots where the skaters spend a majority of time and linking these spots with a good pedestrian road network to allow easy access to and from one spot to another. The added activity of skateboarding at such spots will help rejuvenate these hitherto unused chunks of the city and also promote pedestrian movement amongst its practitioners. The paths connecting such spots will now not remain neglected and in a state of disrepair because they will be integral for a skater to commute from one spot to another besides serving the pedestrian as well. The skateboarders moving along these lanes will also ensure that these paths don’t end up in a state of disrepair and neglect like the majority of non motorable tracks in the city, making them pleasant places to walk in. All of this makes me believe that skateboarding could pave the way for a brighter future for the city. With more kids playing on their streets, skaters using mass transit systems to get from one spot to another and plazas becoming safer after dark because of the skaters present, skateboarding is an activity that could generate a healthier look at things.

Skateboarding and the City

24 | P a g e

CASE STUDIES I.

Freemotionsk8, Delhi’s first skate park.

Delhi recently got its first skate park at Neb Sarai in south Delhi. The park is situated in a basement and run by Steve Weightman, an American from Southern California, the part of the world which holds probably the richest tradition of skateboarding. It doesn’t have much in terms of infrastructure but is incredibly well managed considering its size and the staff. This is because a lot of regulars pitch in with the maintenance and the upkeep. Once again we notice the almost fraternal aspect of the community which seems very well knit. The charges to skate there are Rs.100 for a couple of hours and Rs.200 for the whole day. A monthly pass, usually preferred by the regulars who make a visit almost every day is available for Rs.1000. They’ve been open since January 2013 and have one large ramp that is a half pipe of sorts besides four banks, four quarter pipes, a launch ramp, bench as well as a rail. Steve also gives new skaters pointers and helps them pick up the sport. The overall ambience of the place is lively and full of character. The way the basement has been converted to a skate park is particularly interesting. Every wall has been put to use but the layout has been kept flexible.

Figure 1 View of the interiors

The columns divide different zones and keep people from getting in each other’s way. The place is spacious enough for first timers to get their skating space while giving the regulars theirs to try out their own routines.

Skateboarding and the City

25 | P a g e

Freemotion Sk8 also conducts a free skateboarding workshop in Neb Sarai on Sundays. Over 40 underprivileged children from the neighbourhood collect in their protective gear at the skate park by 11 in the morning. This gives the children something to do, provides them with a healthy hobby in which to indulge. Besides, Steve and his bunch of helpers and volunteers also conduct regular workshops in schools and are actively involved in inculcating the culture of skateboarding in the youth they encounter. Steve had opened the skate park because he had been impressed by the attention he had received from pedestrians when he had skated with a friend of his on the streets of Delhi a couple of years ago. He had a brainwave and set out to finding a space he could transform into a makeshift skate park. Finally complete, Steve recalls with satisfaction and claims that it has all been worth it. He is amazed at the response. In fact, one thing that interest him in particular is the fact that in India, its not just school kids and teens who come over to try it out. People in their early twenties are also giving this a go. He feels that the open mindedness of the public here can go a long way in the development of the sport in the city and the country.

Figure 2 A regular trying out a â&#x20AC;&#x153;carveâ&#x20AC;? on the half pipe

The most important contribution of the skate park is that it livens up the entire community. Youngsters travelling to and from the spot add a little zest to the otherwise dead street. Pedestrian movement is apparent especially because of the well maintained streets. The architecture of the area may not suggest it but the inclusion of the skate park has greatly increased the walkability of the area. Motorists no longer go zipping by, ever cautious of any practicing novice on his skateboard. The pavement is safe to walk on!

Skateboarding and the City

26 | P a g e

Figure 3 Steve at the skate park, demonstrating how to perform a grind and an Ollie.

Skateboarding and the City

27 | P a g e

II.

Amsterdam, A skateboarder’s paradise

This case study deals with a city that already has done so much for its pedestrian population. For someone who doesn’t know already about the city, it is a place where more people use the bicycle to commute than any other means of transportation. The population of Amsterdam is around 740,000. There are however, 500,000 bicycles here. (Gaal, 2012) Even the mayor of the city and members of the city council travel to office on the bicycle on some days. A traditional Amsterdam thoroughfare will have at least four separate lanes- A pedestrian lane /sidewalk, a cycle track, a car lane and a tram lane which is also shared by buses. This does mean that there are a lot of signs and traffic lights but for the most part, travelling within the city is a very enjoyable and pleasing affair. The cycle tracks have their own traffic lights and are coloured a shade of reddish pink, thus making it easy for pedestrians to determine which areas of the tarmac are pedestrian and which are for cycles. My study involves an interview session with Tom Rhijn, a long time Dutch skater and owner of a top retail skate shop in central Amsterdam. He owns, Tom’s Skateshop, a very famous establishment in those parts. He was born in the city and shares his take on what skateboarding means in the Netherlands and what it means to skate in the city.

Figure 4 Tom's Skateshop, Amsterdam

Skateboarding and the City

28 | P a g e

Interview with Tom Rhijn Q) How popular is skateboarding in the Netherlands? A) Its very popular. Obviously, the cycles come first, but skateboarding definitely has quite a following. In fact, every Friday night here is skate night. Anyone who wants to skate can join without prior registration. Departure is from the round bench in front of Café Vertigo in Vondel Park. The ride ends at Café De Vondeltuin in Vondel Park.

Q) That’s a very novel scheme. Does it have a lot of people involved? A) Yes. About 50-60 people at least for each run. The trip lasts around 2 hours. The only way for it to get cancelled is if the roads are wet.

Q) When did you start skateboarding? A) At the age of 7, under the influence of my cousins.

Q) How long have you been skating in Amsterdam? A) For 23 years now. It was very different before. Now we have skate parks, skate spots…tons of kids are picking it up.

Q) Are there a lot of places to skate in the city? A) Skateboarding isn’t always about having one big spot, that’s a skate park. Street skating is about making use of many different elements all across the city, wherever you find them on the run. Skateboarders in Amsterdam have their own local networking site where skaters discuss

Skateboarding and the City

29 | P a g e

events, runs, spots, technique and lots more. Check out http://www.skateparkamsterdam.com/. (Anon., 2014)

Figure 5 showing top skate spots in the city (Anon., 2013)

Q) How is your experience of skating in Amsterdam and of skating elsewhere? A) I have skated mostly within Europe and the feel is mostly similar. However, Amsterdam is completely different in terms of the number of pedestrians here. There are tons of people in the street. The bikers are the major problem. However, skateboarding is mostly an activity here. Because of the presence of such a strong cycle travel network, most people commute by cycle. Still, skateboarding here makes for a wonderful experience. If you like to skate through nature, the paved paths in Vondel Park, Spaarnwoude and the Amsterdamse Bos are perfect for you. In summer in particular many other lovers of this sport will join you. In autumn and in winter these locations are less busy, while still offering great scenic beauty. If you love skating and water, you are not limited to the famous, but busy, canals in Amsterdam. The Gaasterplas is a good alternative. You can skate all around this lake. It is also quite doable to skate around the KNSM/Java Island. In addition to enjoying great views of the river IJ, you will see Amsterdamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most modern residential estate.

Skateboarding and the City

30 | P a g e

Q) What do you think architecture has to do with skateboarding? A) Everything. The entire sport is driven by the way places are designed. The city of Amsterdam is pretty old. To give urban planners and architects some credit, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done a good job of retrofitting the same old streets and adapting them for the mixed use we see today. However, the good road network and spots in between where skaters can meet and congregate makes for a very interesting skating environment. This interview has been shortened and made more concise. (Rhijn, 2014)

Skateboarding and the City

31 | P a g e

Figure 6 Pictures from site at Skatepark Amsterdam (Anon., 2013)

III) How skate friendly a city is Delhi? The final case study deals with just how skate friendly a city Delhi already is. Through a series of exercises, I will attempt to demonstrate how skateboarding can be a means of efficiently commuting in the cityI have created several scenarios where I will time travelling with a skateboard as opposed to travelling by foot in the city. My observations will account for the additional discomfort of having to carry a skateboard which weighs in at roughly over 2 kilograms. I have also assumed for any additional luggage by performing every exercise with a backpack. I made sure to include a laptop in the bag so as to account for any extra weight.

Scenario 1 Travelling from Maharani Bagh to ITO, New Delhi for college commute This trip could essentially include buses on the way and/or cycle rickshaws at the onset and end. However, for simulation purposes, the entire trip in this situation has been completed on a skateboard. My findings are that Delhi has tremendous potential for the implementation of skateboarding in its streets solely because of the neatly tiled pavements and cycle tracks. These NMTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s connect all metro stations and bus stops along all routes. Contrary to popular belief, most of these NMTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are still in good condition. The entire commute from Maharani Bagh bus stop to The School of Planning and Architecture campus at ITO by auto rickshaw takes close to 20 minutes. On foot, the 8.6 km stretch takes about an hour and 20 minutes. On skateboard, the trip takes just over 45 minutes. The only places where one has to walk are at road crossings. All in all, nothing much has to be implemented in terms of infrastructure to make the city more skate friendly except proper maintenance of existing resources. Other conclusions are that effective use of gradients can and will help propel a skateboarder and maintain his momentum. This would go a long way in helping skaters save energy and prolong their ability to skate outdoors for longer, especially in the Delhi heat.

Skateboarding and the City

32 | P a g e

Figure 7 Skateboarding cuts this 7.5 km, 1 hour 34 minute commute time to just over 42 mins.

Skateboarding and the City

33 | P a g e

Scenario 2 Travelling from Dwarka Sector 19 to Dwarka Sports Complex The roads in this particular instance are good enough for skating, whereas the traffic condition is not too serious. This makes itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good spot to skate. Dwarka Sports complex is a hub where the student population and teenagers from the surrounding colonies gather to play sports, chiefly basketball and swimming. The most popular way of getting there is by means of cycle rickshaw, motor bike or by car. Given the road conditions there, it would be a very healthy alternative to shift to skateboarding as an effective means of commute. The time taken to walk from an apartment at Sikkim Manipal University to the Sports Complex on foot is about 25 minutes. The time taken to skate the same distance is 12 minutes.

Skateboarding and the City

34 | P a g e

Figure 8 The time taken to skate the same distance is 12 minutes

CONCLUSION The conclusions that we can draw from the various case studies is that skateboarding, with proper implementation and policies could help to rejuvenate the pedestrian nature of cities, create better public spaces and also provide a healthy alternative to travelling by car/bike. The inhabitants of Neb Sarai are happy with the fact that the kids on the street are taking up more of an interest in the sport than in other things that street kids in Delhi are notorious for- stealing and drugs. The skate excursions in ITO and Dwarka have shown me that Delhi already has a very proskate environment and could effectively implement skateboarding as a means of commuting between metro stations and/or bus stops. It could cut down our travel time in half as compared to when we walk. The case study of Amsterdam as a city which has more or less adapted and accepted its largely pedestrian nature shows us that any city, no matter how old, how flooded and how crowded, can still create good public spaces for its citizens with proper planning and governance. Skaters, cyclists and people all share the city and its paths in harmony.

Design Directives Some measures that Delhi could implement to facilitate a better skating environment are1) Adding ramps to all pedestrian paths and cycle tracks so that no immediate levels exist at junctions or crossings. This will ensure universal accessibility and also promote the use of a skateboard as an effective means of commute. 2) Proper management and maintenance of non motorable tracks 3) Building small plazas along these NMT’s at a distance of every 500 m. This proves effective even for pedestrians because these spots attract street hawkers and vendors making the spots lively, safe at night. In the day, these spots will provide shade and a place to sit and rest in between the walk. These spots could also be slightly elevated so that while leaving the spot, skaters will be able to generate momentum faster. This will help one skate longer and travel farther. 4) Re tiling the NMT’s with skid proof tiles. These also help pedestrians because the normal tiles in use now tend to get very slippery when wet. 5) Re enforcing the ownership of pedestrian paths by dispelling any notion that motorists can use NMT’s/cycle tracks. This will further make Delhi a more pleasant place to walk in besides making it safer. 6) Planting of more trees along the NMT’s. The trees should preferably be tall trees that shade. This will provide shade in the day while not breaking visual axis with the road at night because of the distance between their trunks.

Skateboarding and the City

35 | P a g e

7) Using metal car block frames (in pedestrian only zones) in a configurable layout which will enable one to use a combination of them in an a multiple number of ways, as skate ledges or even as ramp frames 8) Marking skate spots with signs that direct skaters to other nearby skate spots and also mention that these are special spots and not meant for motorist use 9) Encourage schools to allow architects/designers to integrate skate parks/spots into their existing framework such as parking lots or an empty basement to promote more participation amongst children

Better pedestrian network and universal accessibility We can see clearly that all the above guidelines will benefit the pedestrian as much as it will the skater. In fact, the effective implementation of the policies will ensure universal accessibility. The pedestrian network will be a safe and pleasant place for the differently abled also. That in itself is a huge step forward from the rarely used stretches of concrete we have for pavements at the moment. This is the first step to promote a mutual understanding between cyclists, pedestrians, skaters and the disabled by allowing them to share and use the same space in harmony. Seeing as how skateboarders tend to take care of their runs and spots, the NMTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Delhi will also have better chances of being in a good state of repairs. This can be the first step towards a city where people on the street understand each other better regardless of their mode of conveyance. A step towards a Delhi that is both safe to walk in, and more civil.

Skateboarding and the City

36 | P a g e

9600 words approx.

REFERENCES Anon., 2013. www.iamsterdam.com/. [Online] Available at: www.iamsterdam.com/ [Accessed 2014]. Anon., 2014. skatepark amsterdam. [Online] Available at: http://www.skateparkamsterdam.com/ [Accessed 2014]. Borden, I., 1998. Body Architecture: Skateboarding and the Creation of Super-Architectural space. In: Occupying Architecture- Between the Built and the User. s.l.:s.n. Borden, I., 2001. Another Pavement, Another Beach: Skateboarding and the Performative Critique of Architecture. In: s.l.:s.n. Borden, I., n.d. Space. In: s.l.:s.n. Burger, T., 2010. poolskateboarding.com. [Online] Available at: http://poolskateboarding.com/ [Accessed 2014]. Debord, G., 1958. Theory of the dérive. s.l.:s.n. Gaal, v., 2012. I am Amsterdam. [Online] Available at: http://www.iamsterdam.com Howell, O., 2001. Skateboarding, Urban Design and the new Public space. In: The poetics of security. s.l.:s.n. Howell, O., 2001. The Poetics of Security: Skateboarding, Urban Design, and the New Public Space. In: s.l.:s.n. Lauwe, C. d., 1952. Paris et l’agglomération parisienne. Mack, S., 2014. www.livestrong.com. [Online] Available at: http://www.livestrong.com/article/433176-how-is-skateboarding-good-exercise/ [Accessed 29 10 2014]. Mordani, P., 2014. Shop Owner [Interview] 2014. Rhijn, T., 2014. [Interview] 2014.

Skateboarding and the City

37 | P a g e

Skateboarding and the City

38 | P a g e