This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Competitive yet comradely, skate culture is the hidden spring of a surprising number of Philly’s creative fields. And creating a safe place in town where skaters can “pop ollies” is a passion for Josh Nims. A decade ago, skateboarders in Philadelphia were under attack. A ban on skating in LOVE Park, the internationally renowned shredding paradise, turned the city’s public spaces into dangerous ground. But just as the movement against skateboarding gained momentum, an advocacy group sprung into action. Since 2000, Josh has been working with the Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund, along with co-founders Bryan Lathrop and Brian Nugent, to build and advocate for skateparks. It’s a skillset that combines a talent for raising money, a taste for politics and city planning, and a knack for community building. Today, Paine’s Park is a meeting place for the city and one of Philadelphia’s finest and most inclusive public spaces.

Josh Nims is a lifelong skateboarder with an affinity for politics and city planning. He is co-founder of the Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund and operations manager for the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, where he works to revitalize and redevelop the lower Schuylkill River and reconnect it to Philadelphia’s urban core.