Surface Tensions: Skate-Stoppers and the Surveillance Politics of Small Spaces

Skate-stoppers are ubiquitous objects installed on outdoor surfaces in built environments all over the world. Skate-stoppers are an essential part of low-tech security of urban surfaces at a micro-scale—a single bench, handrail, or ledge—with the sole-purpose of protecting these surfaces from skateboarders. As such skate-stoppers are an extension of human and electronic surveillance systems, though in many patches of the urban landscape, skate-stoppers are a low-cost substitute for more sophisticated technologies. This interplay of control and liberation draws attention to surfaces in urban space and specific tactics adopted to secure and protect them through surveillance. In this article, we explore the criticality of skate-stoppers and tactics for removing them to advance the study of surveillance of small spaces. We argue that skate-stoppers are aggressive attempts to control urban space by interrupting the flow of bodies and boards along particular surfaces, namely the “spots” desired by skateboarders. Second, we argue that the installation of skate-stoppers has shifted from reaction to anticipation of skateboarders, and new construction projects now come with skate-stoppers already installed as part of surveillance infrastructure. Third, we argue that skateboarders have become adept at liberating spots from skate-stoppers, restoring flow to surfaces through both organised activism and covert acts, underscoring the limitations of surveillance using objects. We conclude with some thoughts on the disjuncture between the embrace of creative cities and the proliferation of skate-stoppers, suggesting creative play and its desired affective properties are regulated by the control of surfaces in the same spaces.