Project Tag: <span>place making</span>

SOUTHBANK UNDERCROFT TRANSFORMATION

In 2019, Flow Associates were commissioned by Long Live Southbank and the Southbank Centre to carry out an evaluation of the long term impact on the skate community following improvements made to theUndercroft skate space. The Undercroft, which is managed by the Southbank Centre, has been used since the 1970’s by skateboarders and is thought by many to be the home of the sport in Britain. The Undercroft’s location in an unused space within the Southbank Centre was appropriated by skateboarders, BMXers and inline skaters who found its sheltered, smooth surfaces and unusual architectural forms ideal for skating. The space also attracted other creative uses, with dance, music and filming all taking place. In March 2013, plans were published by the Southbank to create two new buildings alongside the Royal Festival Hall. The construction of these, and funding to sustain them, would require the closure of the Undercroft space. The proposed project included the development of commercial and retail properties, closing the area to skateboarding and other uses. In order to safeguard the iconic site and continue its heritage of skateboarding, Long Live Southbank (LLSB), was formed. LLSB is a non-profit organisation which campaigned to sustain the use of the Undercroft by skaters and its community. The team of Southbank “locals”, skaters and volunteers successfully applied for the area to become an Asset of Community Value in 2013. LLSB’s campaign drew the support of 150,000 signatories to a petition, and from a number of organisations and individuals including English Heritage, Kate Hoey MP, The Twentieth Century Society and Lambeth Council.

This three year project to evaluate the impact of the improvements on the skate space looked to capture how access and engagement was changing, and what impact it had on skaters wellbeing and a sence of community. We carried out quantitative and qualititative research, using strcutured observations, visitor counts, interviews and surveys at Southbank, building a trusting relationship with the skate community to really understand how the development was changing how the space was used and by who. The eventual report drew on 116 hours of observation between March 2019 and June 2022, responses from 294 skaters within the Undercroft who spoke to our researchers and completed our surveys, and in-depth interviews with 17 skaters about their experience of the space.

Our evaluation enabled the partners to:

  • Evidence the vital role of this iconic central London space
  • Demonstrate the value of open public access to health and sport
  • Understand the barriers that some face in using the space and how to overcome them
  • Advocate for the sustainability of this at-risk public resource

Infographics from our research went on to be featured in Somerset House’s exhibition, “No Comply: Skate Culture and Community”, showing the impact of the sense of community between skaters and their spots.