As a part of the research Group ART / PLAY /RISK and the City Canvas 2024 symposium, we collaborated closely with academic, Dr Sanne Mestrom, on a co-design skateable sculpture project focused on inclusive and responsive public design.  

While ART / PLAY / RISK pursues new creative and scholarly research into the role of public art in designing and planning intergenerational future cities, City Canvas provided us with the opportunity to co-host the Skate co-design workshop series envisioning cities as dynamic playgrounds. Here public art and creative urban sports converged to create rich potential for urban play – with a special focus on the needs of young people and other non-traditional users of public spaces.

 As part of the Art-Skate Co-Design Process, we hosted a series of workshops and talks that focused on reimagining urban spaces through collaborative design.  Through focus groups and co-design workshops, we engaged a diverse population to share perspectives, insights, and experiences of young females, women, and non-traditional skaters in the design process. By engaging those traditionally excluded from skateable spaces and urban places, we were able to add their voices and needs directly into the creation of urban infrastructure. This allowed us to create design concepts and skateable moments that genuinely responded to the needs of the community.  

Facilitated by Dr. Mestrom, skater Indigo Willing, and our design team, the experience represented a groundbreaking approach to urban design that challenged traditional notions of public space use and accessibility. This enabled us to better understand the difference in ability, interest, and risk tolerance between professional skaters and newcomers exploring skating, which informed our design approach. This will make it safer for those individuals interested in exploring, testing, and trialling skating for the first time.

 Through this experience, we embrace the collaborative spirit that drives our practice, working closely with communities, consultants, and researchers to ensure young females were accommodated for, and actively encouraged to experience or return to the urban space and environment. We demonstrated how collaborative design processes can transform urban environments into more inclusive, dynamic, and socially vibrant spaces, and developed a comprehensive six-stage focus group methodology that moved from theoretical engagement to practical implementation.

https://www.artplayrisk.com.au/symposium-2