In Bordeaux, the streets speak. And over the past decade, their language has shifted from resistance to resonance, from conflict to creativity. Where once skateboarders were seen as troublemakers disturbing the peace, they are now recognized as cultural agents shaping the city’s identity. The transformation didn’t happen overnight. But thanks to visionary leadership, grassroots persistence and a willingness to experiment, Bordeaux is emerging as a global blueprint for how urban sports can redefine the use of public space.
For years, Bordeaux carried a complex relationship with its skateboarding community. Despite a thriving local scene, the city enforced strict anti-skating laws until 2016. Skaters were fined, skate-stoppers were installed across the city and iconic public places were turned into no-go zones. To the authorities, skateboarding was a nuisance; loud, potentially damaging and dangerous. To skaters, it was the essence of their city life, the way they explored architecture, reinterpreted space and built community.
Skateboarding in Bordeaux was more than just recreation: it was a form of urban discovery. The city itself, with its historic facades and modern plazas, became a canvas for movement and expression. The disconnect between that creative energy and the city’s restrictive policies reached a tipping point. Something had to change.
That change came in 2017, when the city launched a mediation process involving skateboarders, citizens, elected officials and municipal services. Instead of criminalizing street skating, they opened a dialogue. Instead of banning, they began listening. This was the birth of “skaturbanism,” a new way of thinking about urban planning through the lens of skate culture. It was not about making Bordeaux into a giant skatepark, it was about integrating skateboarding meaningfully and respectfully into the fabric of public life.
At the heart of this movement was the creation of a Skateboarding Master Plan in 2019. The plan called for the development of 16 integrated skateable public spaces over 10 years. These were not isolated parks fenced off from the city but rather thoughtfully designed, multi-use environments where skating could coexist with daily urban rhythms. Through pilot projects and creative installations, the city tested ideas in real time, learning, adjusting and expanding with every experiment.
Cultural events played a vital role in shifting perceptions. Projects like Play, Bon Voyage and Hybrides brought ephemeral skate exhibitions to public spaces, turning everyday plazas into playgrounds of imagination. Collaborations with cities like Malmö and Toronto fostered knowledge exchange and cross-cultural momentum. Cutting-edge 3D-printed skate sculptures emerged as both functional and artistic contributions to the cityscape. These interventions were not just about skating. They were about reactivating dormant spaces, inspiring creativity and inviting shared use across generations and communities.
To support this cultural shift, Bordeaux launched a participatory budgeting initiative. Skaters, along with other residents, were invited to propose and vote on public space projects. It wasn’t just co-creation, it was co-ownership. The city also introduced a skateboarding guide in 2023 to communicate usage principles, promote respectful behavior and improve coexistence. QR codes on site linked visitors to information, stories and expectations, bridging the gap between street culture and city policy.
“Skateboarding in Bordeaux has moved from the margins to the mainstream”
The results have been transformative. Bordeaux now hosts the annual Connect Festival, drawing over 4.000 visitors and participants from more than 16 countries. Its reputation as a global leader in skaturbanism continues to grow, with cities like São Paulo, Malmö, Philadelphia, London and Antwerp turning to Bordeaux for inspiration. But perhaps most important are the changes happening at ground level: a shift in behavior among skaters, increased diversity in the scene and a renewed sense of pride and possibility in public life.
Inclusion is a major theme in this evolution. The city has actively supported projects aimed at increasing the participation of girls and women in skateboarding, recognizing that a truly inclusive urban sports culture must reflect the full spectrum of urban life. Behavioral changes among skaters have followed naturally. Where there was once resistance, there is now respect; both for the spaces and for each other.
The Bordeaux experience is not about imposing a one-size-fits-all solution. Rather, it highlights the power of process. Of listening, prototyping and building trust over time. It also emphasizes the need for “boundary spanners”, individuals who understand both the culture of skateboarding and the mechanisms of city governance. These are the people who make co-creation possible, who can translate between the city hall and the halfpipe.
Skateboarding in Bordeaux has moved from the margins to the mainstream, not in a way that dilutes its edge, but in a way that honors its spirit. It’s now seen as a tool for promoting physical activity, creativity, sustainable mobility and even mental health. It brings natural security to spaces, drives tourism and infuses the city with a youthful, dynamic image. In essence, skateboarding has become a mirror of Bordeaux’s modern identity: playful, inclusive, and alive.
Urban sports, as Bordeaux proves, aren’t just about tricks or trends. They are about transforming cities from static landscapes into living, breathing environments of movement, expression and connection. They are about reclaiming the street not as a problem to be solved but as a possibility to be explored. In skateboarding, the star is the city and Bordeaux is giving it a stage worthy of its story.
Leo Valls independent skateboarder
Lucas Lopes
manager culture and public space @ City of Bordeaux