Another Pavement, Another Beach: Skateboarding and the performative critique of architecture - Essay Example

Harris Kamran Environmental Studies Analysis 8 April Chapter Summary and Planning The Iain Borden, in “Another Pavement, Another Beach: Skateboarding and the performative critique of architecture,” focuses on the way modern architecture utilizes space and the manner it is perceived and used by the city dwellers. He observes from the viewpoint of a skateboarder and then denounces the rigid comprehension that the urban dwellers have of the manner in which city space and architecture is utilized (Borden).

He traces the origin of skateboarding and its spill from the suburbs and the countryside into the urban areas followed by the need of the skateboarders to use the space that was available to them in the form of parking lots, curbs, and rails to practice their art giving rise to the notion that the programmed architectural forms are just forms and can be used in any way that can be deemed fit (Borden). The writer has taken the general city layout to conduct his research and included the streets and the open spaces such as parking lots, school yards, and other such places in his work.

Since the focus was skateboarding, he has taken into consideration any place that the skateboarders could use. The writer used a number of techniques for gathering data for his research and analysis. He used his own observations as he has made comments about the manner the skateboarders use space. He has read existing literature on the subject, especially modern urban architecture, as he constantly refers to other works and other writers with their ideas and quotations (Borden).

He has also made use of personal interviews of the skateboarders since he has quoted the skateboarders on many occasions and on a number of points that he has made in his research (Borden). The author is criticizing the perception of the city dwellers who have got used to the programmed function of any architectural piece in the city (Borden). He proposes an abstract urban space where forms are just forms and their function can be determined by the user and his needs (Borden).

In order to plan and design a new public park in Los Angeles, a Preliminary Consultation body needs to be formulated. This is to make sure that all concerned groups and authorities are representatives and their arguments and concerns addressed. The interdepartmental committee would include members from the Los Angeles Recreational Department, Los Angeles Planning Department, the Transport Department, and the Safety Department. These departments directly affect the construction and design of the park since their involvement is paramount.

Other than these departments might be consulted on an individual basis and only after the preliminary planning has been conducted with the interdepartmental committee, including the California Department of Health Services and the community centers. The involvement of the public in designing the park would be appreciated since it is a public park, and their viewpoints should be incorporated into the design. The final plan needs to be approved by the Environmental Justice Organization so that it is ascertained that no environmental laws are being broken.

Works CitedBorden, Iain, Joe Kerr, Jane Rendell, and Alicia Pivaro. The Unknown City:Contesting Architecture and Social Space. Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2002. Print.