‘A whole new world’: Exercising the right to the city through skateboarding in Cape Town

In South Africa, the spatial divides established through colonialism and apartheid still structure public space. Access to recreational space and space to play remains unequal in townships and informal settlements where people face significant challenges in accessing basic resources and live with everyday threats to their safety and wellbeing. In this article I demonstrate how maintained divides still limit movement in Cape Town as well as increase potential exposure to discrimination and violence. Empirically, I discuss participant experiences of skateboarding, establishing skateboarding parks, and skateboarding programmes and groups. Through participant narratives I demonstrate how skateboarders and skate programmes have created social connection and access to recreational space and public space in Cape Town. At the same time, I highlight how entrenched divides and socioeconomic dynamics infringe on structurally marginalised residents’ capability to exercise the right to the city. In summary, I outline that through these encounters and support networks skateboarders create new communities and exercise their right to the city.