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National Advocacy Themes

2015 National Symposium Archive

Docomomo US Advocacy Theme 2026: RECREATION AND PLAY

In 2026, Docomomo US shifts its attention from religious sites to the rituals of Recreation and Play, highlighting the places where communities gather for recreation, activity, leisure, and joy. We will explore a wide range of sites, including informal and formal skate parks, roller-skating and hockey rinks, parks, bowling alleys, small amusement parks, swimming pools, and playgrounds. Art and sculpture incorporated into these spaces may also be highlighted. 

Additionally, the Recreation and Play theme will examine mid-twentieth-century sites shaped by segregation and exclusion. Places such as swimming pools, beach pavilions, and parks have documented histories of racial and social division – stories that remain essential to understanding how communities interacted with these spaces then and how they continue to do so today. 

Sites such as Embarcadero Plaza and the National Register-eligible Vaillancourt Fountain continue to face threats – from deferred maintenance and displacement to misunderstandings about cultural activities like skateboarding, which are too often viewed as nuisances rather than historic sites of creative expression, exercise, and youth culture.

To ensure that our artistic and cultural identities endure, it is vital that we assess these landscapes from the second half of the 20th century while they still extant.

In response, Docomomo US will spotlight smaller, more intimate landscapes, parks, and recreational environments – that have been overlooked for historic designation or only recently eligible for the National Register – where people can escape daily stresses and engage with nature, community, and play.

In 2022, Docomomo US awarded the Oakland Monster a Civic/Institutional Design Citation of Merit for its 2020 restoration. Thanks to efforts from the local “Mid-Century Modern Monster” Fan Club and the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, in coordination with the Oakland Public Works Department, the iconic sculpture was beautifully restored to its former glory and playfulness.

In 2013, the Perry Harvey Sr. Park Skateboard Bowl (Bro Bowl), in Tampa, Florida, was the first-ever skatepark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, marking a major milestone in the advocacy and recognition of preserving historic recreational spaces and the preservation of skateboard culture.

A few recent developments in this space include:
  • In 2023, the Santa Cruz Derby Skatepark (one of the oldest skate parks in the world) became eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources.
  • In 2019, Portland, Oregon’s Burnside Skatepark – the first DIY concrete skatepark – was publicly recognized by Multnomah County for National Register eligibility after threat of demolition due to the earthquake-ready renovation of Burnside Bridge (the project is currently on hold).
  • Across the pond in the UK, there are now two designated skateparks – the Rom in Hornchurch, England (recognized at Grade II in 2014) and Livi Skatepark in Livingston New Town, Scotland (listed at Category B in 2024).
Selecting one topic of focus each year allows for a more in-depth discovery of the places, spaces and people that make up our modern heritage. Docomomo US incorporates the annual theme into our programming in a variety of ways.

In 2026, this includes:
  • Collaborative events and articles with Docomomo US chapters and affiliated organizations;
  • A special edition newsletter focused on the Recreation and Play theme as well as scholarly articles to be published on our website throughout the year. We will announce our call for articles very soon. If you are interested in submitting an article or site for consideration, please contact [email protected] for details;
  • Chapters and partners hosting tours that engage with the theme for our Tour Day celebration, which takes place on Saturday, October 10, and throughout the month;
  • Sharing images, stories, and the history of significant places for Recreation and Play on social media and encouraging others to share by using the hashtag #modernrecreationandplay;
  • Expanding our listings of Recreation on the Explore Modern Registry.
This is Docomomo US’s 11th annual thematic focus, following previous themes including Places of Worship (2025), Corporate Campuses (2024), Revisiting Urban Renewal (2023), Shopping Malls (2022), Travel and Leisure (2021), The 70s Turn 50 (2020), The Diversity of Modernism (2019), Public Spaces (2018), Shelter (2017), and Modernism in Your Backyard (2016). 

We extend our sincere thanks to all who have contributed to past themes, especially our recent collaborators at Partners for Sacred Spaces and MillerKnoll.

​- Docomomo US

Recreation and Play:  Events Presented by Docomomo US/MN - TBA