from a temporary community endeavor

When the local skateboarding community in Malmö noticed a piece of undeveloped land, it worked with the Bryggeriet, a high school centered around skateboarding, and approached the local government in hopes of building a skate park. The government agreed to allow it for a period of time, and in 2018 the community got to work building what would become PIG Barrier. Operating as a “legal DIY” park, PIG Barrier was built and maintained directly by the community, and its rough and imperfect terrain gave it a character like no other park. The imperfections increased its value and attracted skaters from other areas who enjoyed the creativity required to adapt to imperfections. At the end of the agreed-upon time, in late 2024, PIG Barrier was demolished. Some may see this as a symbol of diminishing community-run public spaces. But a more optimistic perspective can be summed up by Gustav Eden, one of the local figures that coordinated the build: “You build, you tear down, you build again.”

Ian Archibald in Malmö