« Cities and Skateboarding »

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Present the second edition of the international workshop
“Cities and Skateboarding”: Contemporary Approaches to Skateboarding in Urban Dynamics.

Organized by

Jean Sébastien Lacam (Associate Professor of Management),
Juliette Evon (Associate Professor of Management), and
Léo Valls (Professional Skateboarder and Skate Urbanist).

Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM,

More information coming soon (Bordeaux, France).

In collaboration with ESSCA School of Management, the 2026 edition of the Connect Festival 2026 will host the second edition of the international workshop “Cities and Skateboarding,” dedicated to the interactions between skateboarding, the city, and the social sciences and humanities.

From its origins in the 1950s to its inclusion in the 2020 Summer Olympics, skateboarding has profoundly transformed its relationship with urban space. Long perceived as a marginal practice, it is now recognized as a lens through which to understand contemporary uses of the city, as well as a tool for reflecting on mobility, inclusivity, and urban planning.

Through the rise of skate urbanism, local authorities, urban planners, and skate communities are now collectively rethinking the place of skateboarding within public space. As a result, skateboarding has become a major field of study for the social sciences and humanities, including urban studies, sociology, geography, management, anthropology, and cultural studies.

The workshop will bring together researchers, practitioners, urban planners, designers, and public stakeholders to discuss contemporary issues linking skateboarding and the city.

Topics explored will include: Skateboarding and city-making, Skateboarding and urbanity, Skateboarding and urban mobility, Skateboarding and public space design, Skateboarding and ecological transitions, Skateboarding and social phenomena, Inclusivity and access to public space, And more.

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Call for papers

PhD students and doctoral researchers in the Social Sciences and Humanities (Political Science, Economics, Management, Sociology, Anthropology, History, Geography, Urban Studies, etc.) are invited to submit their work for the “Cities and Skateboarding” workshop. Contributions should relate broadly to the workshop theme.

Submissions may include:
Theoretical papers,
Field studies or case study analyses,
Presentations on innovative approaches, tools, analyses, or methodologies.

Submission guidelines and requirements:
If you wish to submit a contribution, your abstract must be written in English and should be between 2,000 and 2,500 words, including:
- Title of the paper,
- Author(s) information (including email addresses and institutional affiliations),
- Theoretical framework, research problem, and research questions/hypotheses,
- Methodology,
- Main findings (expected or obtained),
- Bibliographical references.

The deadline for submission is June 30, 2026. Feedback will be provided to contributors by July 24, 2026.
Submissions should be sent by email to: workshop.connect@essca.fr

The workshop will take place in Bordeaux.
Information regarding travel and logistical arrangements will be shared at a later date.
We look forward to welcoming you!

Click here to download the call for papers