Ecuador en Ollie; Revista de arte, cultura y activismo

Abstract

This research delves into skateboarding as a language capable of rewriting the logic of our cities, transforming often rigid environments into spaces of resistance and community. The core of the problem analyzed is the constant tension between state planning, which is often exclusionary, and the vital need of subcultures to inhabit the city autonomously. From this perspective, the self-management of these spaces not only rehabilitates neglected areas but also serves to break with the historical masculinization of public space. To achieve this, a qualitative methodology with a descriptive-analytical scope was employed. This meant being present in the streets, using participant observation and conducting in-depth interviews with key members of the community. Thanks to this method, it was possible to contrast what institutional infrastructure offers with what emerges from self-built spaces, documenting how these processes of empowerment over the territory actually unfold. The planning was divided into three phases, beginning with a solid theoretical foundation on the right to the city and decolonial aesthetics; then moving on to fieldwork to gather data and understand live social dynamics; and finally, we compiled all these findings into a report that connects body movement with political activism. Skateboarding truly dismantles capitalist architecture by giving urban furniture uses that no one had foreseen. In the end, what becomes clear is that this practice is a powerful tool for inclusion for women and gender non-conforming people, fostering a citizenry that refuses to be passive. The inhabitant ceases to be a mere spectator of their city and becomes an agent who collectively reclaims and cares for it, placing skateboarding precisely where art, politics, and self-identity intersect.