Pronouns: he/him
Focus of Study: Active Transportation, Public Spaces & Community Development
Year started in program: 2024
Biography:
Nicholas Pelster is a graduate student in the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning (MURP) at Portland State University.
He is the founder of The Courts, a well-known Do-It-Yourself (DIY) skatepark that existed on an abandoned concrete tennis court on the PSU campus from 2020 to 2024. The project started in March 2020 when, as an art (BFA) student at PSU, he saw the potential to formalize a space that the skateboarding community was already utilizing during the pandemic.
Skateboarding is central to his background, which he states shaped him and led him to pursue his current path in school and life, seeing it as a "vessel for connection and exploration of art in many forms."
Through determined communication, including sending emails and holding meetings, he successfully worked with PSU's Planning & Sustainability Office and stakeholders, including Senior Campus Planner Liz Hoekstra, to get the university's official sanction for the space. This led to a letter of support and a one-year pilot program for the DIY skatepark, which later continued until the site was needed for a new Art Building in 2024.
He continues his involvement in the placemaking efforts at PSU by working in the Planning & Sustainability Office at PSU. As a graduate student, he is currently working on a new site on campus for The Courts 2.0. He has also been a featured guest at events such as the "Adjacent" PDX 2025 weekend, where he spoke alongside Landscape Architect Taj Hanson on the topic of "Redefining Skateparks." Link to presentation here: https://youtu.be/tne-bwHBy6Y?si=Tb14ykIXp1AUCknz