Smoothing space in Palestine: Building a skatepark and a socio-political forum with the SkatePal charity

ABULHAWA, Danielle (2017). Smoothing space in Palestine: Building a skatepark and a socio-political forum with the SkatePal charity. Journal of Urban Cultural Studies, 4 (3), 417-426.

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Abstract

The history of skateboarding’s development is closely connected to water and fluidity, with the birth of modern ramp practice commonly attributed to Californian surfers, who used the undulating asphalt and concrete of the urban LA landscape as a replacement for sea waves when the surf was flat. This fluidity and adaptability is echoed in scholarly and populist discourse, which tends to discuss skateboarders’ abilities to be resourceful and playful within environments available to them, to adopt simulation alongside innovative DIY approaches when building their own environments and to form supportive networks across cultural boundaries. There has also been much growth in recent years of skateboarding development projects, particularly in areas of conflict and political unrest. This article focuses on my experiences with the SkatePal charity – who have been building skateparks and teaching children to skateboarding in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since 2013.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Palestine, skateboarding, resistance, development, smooth space, SkatePal
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018:	Cultural Communication and Computing Research Institute > Communication and Computing Research Centre
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1386/jucs.4.3.417_1
Page Range:	417-426
Depositing User:	Dani Abulhawa
Date Deposited:	22 Jun 2017 08:58
Last Modified:	17 Mar 2021 16:31
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/15919

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