Riding the City: Renegade Spaces of Street BMX

Presenter's Name(s)

Connor Smith Mr.Follow

Conference Year

January 2019

Abstract

Street BMX riders are transgressive actors within urban spaces who, through their riding and videography, edit social and spatial meanings within the city (Borden, 2001). My goal here is to unpack why and how riders engage with urban space in ways that rescript ‘the city’ and their own identities. I argue that riders challenge the assumed ‘order’ of the city, expose social and spatial boundaries, (re)interpet the spaces in which they ride, and ultimately claim space through riding and making videos to capture their performances.

Primary Faculty Mentor Name

Meghan Cope

Status

Undergraduate

Student College

College of Arts and Sciences

Program/Major

Geography

Primary Research Category

Social Sciences

Abstract only.

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Riding the City: Renegade Spaces of Street BMX

Street BMX riders are transgressive actors within urban spaces who, through their riding and videography, edit social and spatial meanings within the city (Borden, 2001). My goal here is to unpack why and how riders engage with urban space in ways that rescript ‘the city’ and their own identities. I argue that riders challenge the assumed ‘order’ of the city, expose social and spatial boundaries, (re)interpet the spaces in which they ride, and ultimately claim space through riding and making videos to capture their performances.