Abstract
The construction of a series of public skateboarding parks (skateparks) in rural areas in northeast Alabama came about between 2005 and 2007. Skateparks are expensive projects for rural Alabama city governments to undergo; yet, numerous parks have been built within the last decade. Our research explores why these parks were built, where space was allocated for the park, who funded them, and how the space is regulated. The majority of our data come from interviewing city authorities or parties that had a role in funding or campaigning for a skatepark. We have found the establishment of these parks had mix motivations with parties wanting to support skateboarders and others to keep skaters off of the streets. Alabama skateparks were built as an annex to multi-sports complexes or preexisting public parks, were funded from a variety of private and public sources, and are regulated by signage and policing.
Recommended Citation
Tsikalas, Stephen G. and Jones, Jr., Mark Allen
(2018)
"Creating Skateboarding Spaces or Corralling Skaters? The Rise of Public Skateparks in Rural Northeast Alabama,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 59:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol59/iss1/4