Social “Hostile Architecture”

[tenniswhiz]

It’s certainly been around for a long time, but only recently becoming a social issue. As with other social issues, it comes with its share of controversy.

Here is the Wiki definition:

Hostile architecture - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

It comes in many different forms.
Barriers on public benches that appear to be elbow rests but are designed to prevent undesirables from lying down
Sloped or curved benches that make sleeping and lying down impossible or uncomfortable
Sewer grates with uneven or spiked surfaces that prevent people seeking warmth from sitting or lying down on top of them
The placement of plants
Spikes or metal detractors on windowsills or alcoves that prevent people from sitting or resting
Areas underneath bridges that have been altered with spikes, gravel, or other uncomfortable surfaces to prevent people from congregating or seeking shelter

The uproar isn’t only reserved over public space. Many people are also disturbed by hostile architecture in private spaces that is designed to keep undesirables out.

Since I first encountered the term and read about it, I have noticed it everywhere I go.

Further reading:

This urban planner says hostile architecture makes public spaces inequitable

Since the 1970s, cities have been employing something called hostile architecture to try to keep certain people from being in certain places — think handles on bus benches to prevent people from laying down on them.Some states are now starting to rethink this, but Jonathan Pacheco Bell says it’s...

kjzz.org

Looking for a Place to Sit Down in the City

As downtowns struggle to recover from the pandemic, author William Whyte’s insights about what attracts people to small urban places are more important than ever.

www.bloomberg.com

Hostile Architecture: The Design of a Heartless Society - The Signal

Hostile architecture has become the face of 21st century city designs because it serves heartless city counsels well and puts a bandage on a problem that they aren’t willing to solve. Every person living in [...]

georgiastatesignal.com

 

[nhbbear]

If it were up to certain people, instead of park benches, we should be putting comfy beds with lots of pillows all over the place. Hell, why not a type of room service to bring the homeless breakfast in bed so they don’t have to get up and go to the soup kitchen.

 

[Natural Order]

Gates are hostile! Locked doors are hostile!

Let them squat.

 

[avenue94]

Personally not a fan, it's annoying for normal folks (ie, my kid wants to lay down on a bench or my family wants to sit together but the bench isn't built for that). Not to mention that it doesn't really accomplish much, it's not like a shitty bench is going to cure someone of homelessness. It's just kicking the can down the road. At any rate, there's no easy solutions on it given that yes, there are assholes (homeless and not) who will hog a bench and leave others standing.

 

[Whippy McGee]

A ton of these "hostile architecture" elements are there to stop.....

If it makes it so that some drugged / drunk bum can't pass out on a bench so contributing members of society can enjoy it too... then I'm good with "hostile architecture". The Left Cult Clowns are complaining about the wrong problem. If their policies did not promote homelessness, perhaps we wouldn't need the "hostile architecture".

 

[woodguyatl]

A ton of these "hostile architecture" elements are there to stop.....

If it makes it so that some drugged / drunk bum can't pass out on a bench so contributing members of society can enjoy it too... then I'm good with "hostile architecture". The Left Cult Clowns are complaining about the wrong problem. If their policies did not promote homelessness, perhaps we wouldn't need the "hostile architecture".

For sure. The liberal Ronald Reagan who signed the law closing mental health facilities. Also, lord know that liberals are never asking for more funding for mental health services. I cant imagine why liberals are turning down all the money that conservatives are so desperate to spend on the issue.

 

[A Very Serious Cat]

Can't blame people for not wanting antisocial types hanging around in areas for everyone. If people are so concerned then they should open their homes to help accommodate them

 

[FIMN]

If it were up to certain people, instead of park benches, we should be putting comfy beds with lots of pillows all over the place. Hell, why not a type of room service to bring the homeless breakfast in bed so they don’t have to get up and go to the soup kitchen.

Yes indeed, perhaps providing social services to those without homes would be preferable to criminalising them and making their lives difficult at every opportunity.

 

[lilelvis]

For sure. The liberal Ronald Reagan who signed the law closing mental health facilities. Also, lord know that liberals are never asking for more funding for mental health services. I cant imagine why liberals are turning down all the money that conservatives are so desperate to spend on the issue.

Wow! Someone should get the ACLU on that….

 

[NoSmilez]

Get the homeless people help. They put this giant planters and spikes everywhere. We are asshole inconsiderate people too. Stupid fucks can't walk a few feet to throw out their garbage. Those planters just becomes trash bins or place to piss.

 

[nhbbear]

Yes indeed, perhaps providing social services to those without homes would be preferable to criminalising them and making their lives difficult at every opportunity.

I am not against that. I just know that so many refuse any help provided them and would rather just infest wherever they can and cry foul when society doesn’t bend over backwards for them like allowing them to set up a tent wherever they want or sleep on every park bench available.

I did himeless
Outreach for several years, so I have put the time in to caring about them and trying to help, but they just keep wanting more and more and you give them a tent, and when they want to move, instead of cleaning up their camp and tents they destroy them and tell the non profit that someone trashed their tent so they can simply get a new one. There are messy camps full of trash all over my city and I can’t even imagine the cleanup for skid row or other places out west. It’s disgusting and deplorable.

 

[tenniswhiz]

I am not against that. I just know that so many refuse any help provided them and would rather just infest wherever they can and cry foul when society doesn’t bend over backwards for them like allowing them to set up a tent wherever they want or sleep on every park bench available.

I did himeless
Outreach for several years, so I have put the time in to caring about them and trying to help, but they just keep wanting more and more and you give them a tent, and when they want to move, instead of cleaning up their camp and tents they destroy them and tell the non profit that someone trashed their tent so they can simply get a new one. There are messy camps full of trash all over my city and I can’t even imagine the cleanup for skid row or other places out west. It’s disgusting and deplorable.

A little like dealing with children who never grow up

 

[FIMN]

I am not against that. I just know that so many refuse any help provided them and would rather just infest wherever they can and cry foul when society doesn’t bend over backwards for them like allowing them to set up a tent wherever they want or sleep on every park bench available.

I did himeless
Outreach for several years, so I have put the time in to caring about them and trying to help, but they just keep wanting more and more and you give them a tent, and when they want to move, instead of cleaning up their camp and tents they destroy them and tell the non profit that someone trashed their tent so they can simply get a new one. There are messy camps full of trash all over my city and I can’t even imagine the cleanup for skid row or other places out west. It’s disgusting and deplorable.

Homelessness is strongly correlated with mental illness and drug addiction as you know. You're quite correct that many people won't help themselves. But some people do and those people should be helped and if that means providing housing then surely its better than not.

 

[Sinister]

The classism is strong in this thread.

 

[nhbbear]

A little like dealing with children who never grow up

Mental illness is a bitch

 

[nhbbear]

Homelessness is strongly correlated with mental illness and drug addiction as you know. You're quite correct that many people won't help themselves. But some people do and those people should be helped and if that means providing housing then surely its better than not.

I 100% agree

 

[Whippy McGee]

For sure. The liberal Ronald Reagan who signed the law closing mental health facilities. Also, lord know that liberals are never asking for more funding for mental health services. I cant imagine why liberals are turning down all the money that conservatives are so desperate to spend on the issue.

While I get the Ronald Regan blame game, it's really stupid at this point. It's been 40 years and we've had 6 Presidents and many more congresses since then to fix his error. There comes a point when you can no longer blame Three Mile Island for stopping Nuclear Energy in America as we have had the opportunity to progress from the mistakes made.

 

[oldshadow]

Sounds like a good idea and hope it works as designed.

 

[avenue94]

Homelessness is strongly correlated with mental illness and drug addiction as you know. You're quite correct that many people won't help themselves. But some people do and those people should be helped and if that means providing housing then surely its better than not.

It is correlated, but not caused by either. Mental health care improvements would help but it wouldn't make a dent in homelessness. IE there is a reason West Virginia doesn't have the highest homeless rate in the country.

 

[Cyrano200]

instead of cleaning up their camp and tents they destroy them and tell the non-profit that someone trashed their tent so they can simply get a new one. There are messy camps full of trash all over my city and I can’t even imagine the cleanup for skid row or other places out west. It’s disgusting and deplorable.

So along one of the main throughfares there is a narrow, small, wooded area between that and a parallel smaller road. A year or two ago (hell, maybe it was pandemic times so 2019), I started noticing a splash of color between the trees that turned out to be a tent. Then a few tents, but never more than a handful. Fast forward to January this year and the City (I assume) thinned out the trees which revealed the utter trash heap left there, which they then bulldozed in order to clean up.
Is that "Hostile"?
I saw a similar sequence in a wooded bit between the back of an apartment complex and WaWa.