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Skateboarding and the City: A Complete History

17 January 2019

Professor Iain Borden publishes a seminal history of skateboarding this spring

Figure 10.10 Skateboarding MACBA’s space of symbols, Barcelona (2015).  © Emmi Holmer.

Published by Bloomsbury, Skateboarding and the City by Professor Iain Borden launches on 21 February and is now available for pre-order.

The book presents the only complete history of skateboarding, exploring the story of skate culture from the surf-beaches of the 1960’s California to the latest developments in street-skating and the wider skating world of today.

Kyle Beachy, Associate Professor at Roosevelt University, Chicago described Iain’s work as ‘varied and bedazzling as the most expert of skaters.’

Through his book, Iain reveals a vivid understanding of how skateboarders, through their actions, engage with the city in a unique way. 

Skateboarding and the City has been a long time coming, and is the culmination of 30 years of researching and writing about skateboarding. I am naturally delighted that The Bartlett and UCL have supported me so generously in doing this work, and equally that Bloomsbury have created such a vibrant and colourful publication.

– Professor Iain Borden, The Bartlett School of Architecture

Iain is a life-long skater and is now Professor of Architecture & Urban Culture, and Vice-Dean of Education at The Bartlett School of Architecture. He has previously authored and co-edited publications including Forty Ways to Think About Architecture: Architectural History & Theory Today, and Drive: Journeys thorough Film, Cities and Landcape and is a sought-after commentator about the the subculture of skateparks.


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Image: Skateboarding MACBA’s space of symbols, Barcelona (2015), © Emmi Holmer.