Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: VÍTOR SPINELLI DE MEDEIROS

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : VÍTOR SPINELLI DE MEDEIROS
DATE: 30/09/2026
TIME: 16:00
LOCAL: sala virtual - a definir
TITLE:

Skatepark is not a playground! Or is it? - Affordances, perception and social behavior in the skateparks of Natal /RN

KEY WORDS:

urban space; open public spaces; affordances; environmental perception; social behavior; skatepark.

PAGES: 136
BIG AREA: Ciências Sociais Aplicadas
AREA: Arquitetura e Urbanismo
SUBÁREA: Projeto de Arquitetura e Urbanismo
SPECIALTY: Planejamento e Projeto do Equipamento
SUMMARY:

The influence of the quality of built space on people's behavior is a broad and essential theme in architecture and urbanism, especially in studies of perception, use, and evaluation of the built environment. There is continuous academic production in the areas of design and environmental psychology, involving various spatial scales and typologies. Among the numerous environments explored in research, skateparks are still little examined in Brazil, possibly due to the contradictions, controversies, and conflicts that have permeated the practice of skateboarding over the years, with prohibitions and restrictions around the world and a fluctuating popularity. This situation seems to be changing, thanks to the increased visibility provided by the inclusion of skateboarding in the 2020 Olympics. One particular case stands out in the Brazilian context: the municipality of Natal-RN only had its first public street skatepark in 2015 and its first public bowl in 2025, being, until then, one of the few capitals in the country without these facilities, considering that skateparks have existed in Northeast Brazil since the 1970s. Currently, Natal has 12 skateparks, notably 4 that were built in 2025 and another 4 that were built by the skaters themselves (DIY) over the years. Given this scenario, the following questions arise: what is the quality of these spaces? Are they adequate to the demand? Who uses them and how? Thus, this research focuses on the characteristics of the built environment of public skateparks in Natal and their use, investigating two questions: how do the environmental elements and affordances of the skateparks influence the perception and social behavior of users? How can the design of these spaces be planned to contribute to coexistence among different groups? In this context, the main objective of the research is to investigate the environmental elements that most influence the social behavior and perception of users of public skateparks in Natal-RN, in order to propose guidelines for architectural design aimed at the harmonious use of these spaces. The ongoing research is based on four stages: (i) bibliographic and documentary review, contextualizing the evolution of skateboarding as a sport and its interaction with architecture and urbanism; (ii) characterization of the spaces, starting from the identification, mapping and visits to the 12 skateparks in the city, with photos, georeferencing and application of an evaluation form, with subsequent systematization and analysis of the data; (iii) understanding how different groups use the skateparks through behavioral mapping and interviews at 4 skate parks in the city; and (iv) joint analysis of the information to develop architectural guidelines for the planning, renovation, and construction of new public skate parks, mainly considering aspects of diversity of uses and integration strategies with adjacent urban facilities. Partial results demonstrate diversity in morphology and quality of the skateparks, multiplicity of uses and the existence of conflicts, with frequent use by children playing and accompanying adults..

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interno - 1720813 - GEORGE ALEXANDRE FERREIRA DANTAS
Interna - 1149643 - GLEICE VIRGINIA MEDEIROS DE AZAMBUJA ELALI
Externo à Instituição - ADRIANA SANSÃO FONTES - UFRJ