In big blue cities everywhere the increased presence of homeless camps, visible drug use, and the destruction of property has been on the rise. Cities are not enforcing existing laws that prohibit these behaviors. There are occasional sweeps and clean ups, tickets to other cities, but nothing that deters the increasingly visible issues associated with a growing transient population. When garbage, theft, and disturbing interactions impact daily lives, properties, and local businesses, citizens begin finding ways to protect themselves and their things. Evidently some people don’t think it’s very nice to protect your personal interests in any way – if you are a participating, contributing, member of society. They are onto the sneaky practice of… “anti-homeless” architecture.
Anti-homeless architecture can take many forms and be tough to spot but it is a hidden fixture of cities and towns across the world 🌍 https://t.co/NnYWMZQYti
— The Big Issue (@BigIssue) September 17, 2022
Efforts to exclude people from public spaces include spikes, barriers, and anything a person wouldn’t want to sleep upon or loiter around, no matter their state of mind. This practice can also be called “hostile design.”
Also known as defensive architecture, hostile design or exclusionary design, it is used to tackle social problems “in ways that appear to be benign but has potentially more aggressive impacts,” says expert @qurbanist pic.twitter.com/Mu8yf97aFB
— The Big Issue (@BigIssue) September 17, 2022
Little did you know armrests on park benches can ruin a good night’s sleep for the common transient.
The most common type is the humble bench.
They can be designed with uneven surfaces and bars across them that look like arm rests but could really be there to stop people lying down. This has become almost the standard design pic.twitter.com/aj9d9XbGZz
— The Big Issue (@BigIssue) September 17, 2022
Spikes are especially effective for deterring selective sleepers.
Perhaps the most aggressive example of anti-homeless architecture is spikes designed to stop people sitting or lying down🚫
Designs likes this show how we’re “willing to make spaces worse for everyone instead of coming up with solutions” says @hostiledesign pic.twitter.com/AlHavxFeD6
— The Big Issue (@BigIssue) September 17, 2022
In Seattle, business owners have been known to throw out eco blocks to prevent long-term RV parking in front of their establishments.
Seattle business owners forced to take law into their own hands with ton concrete block installations https://t.co/iOF496C7Si
— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) August 2, 2022
The city and some of its citizens are keen on enforcing the removal of the illegal barricades, but seem powerless to address the laws being broken by homeless encampments and extended RV parking. Don’t get caught up trying to wrap your head around the logic… something about how businesses have a choice to not defend their business or their property but the people parking and loitering illegally do not have any choices about their behavior.
Yeah, that's not gonna fly with this Seattle local. If they are placing eco-blocks, they are CHOOSING to break the law. If they didn't want to break the law that is fully in their capacity to do. The housing shortage didn't force their hand, they chose to break the law.
— I don't know what I'm doing (he/him) (@DahNewton) July 31, 2022
There are a number of legal measures that can be taken as well, even opera can be weaponized in the right circumstance.
There’s another side to this. Many businesses have to deal with homeless people panhandling in front of their stores and it’s not good for business. Our local 7-11 now has outdoor speakers that play loud old scratchy opera music to discourage people from hanging out. Sad.
— Jeffrey Joseph (@JeffJosephSD) September 17, 2022
The moral of the story is that when citizens and businesses get fed up with not having their interests or their rights protected, they are capable of creatively taking a stand. If the response was as cruel as the bleeding hearts would have you believe, we wouldn’t be discussing clever architecture and subtle deterrents.
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