Hostile architecture, also known as defensive architecture, is architecture used as a deterrent.
Its architectural design is meant to guide the behavior of the public in private and public spaces.
It is used to deter activities such as skateboarding, littering and loitering.
In particular, this type of architecture can be used to deter houseless populations from finding shelter or a place to sleep.
“By structuring our relationships, these features of the built environment control and constrain our behavior. The architected urban landscape regulates, and the architecture itself is a form of regulation,” said the paper “Architectural Exclusion: Discrimination and Segregation Through Physical Design of the Built Environment” from the Yale Law Journal, published in 2015.
The growth in this type of architecture has gained traction over recent years and can be notably seen in larger cities and urbanized areas, including San Francisco; however, this type of architecture is all around us.
Spikes on the ground under an overpass, fencing under outdoor staircases and bars separating seats on a park bench are all examples of hostile architecture.
“Spikes on the ground near building alcoves or window ledges are an obvious example of hostile architecture, clearly intended to prevent anyone from sleeping in those areas,” said The HomeMore Project, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that aims to provide shelter and resources to houseless people.
Some present strategies currently used to design hostile architecture are derived from the design philosophy of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED).
“Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a multi-disciplinary approach of crime prevention that uses urban and architectural design and the management of built and natural environments,” says The International Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Association website.
“CPTED strategies aim to reduce victimization, deter offender decisions that precede criminal acts, and build a sense of community among inhabitants so they can gain territorial control of areas, reduce crime and minimize fear of crime.”
Taking away seating or changing design to be uncomfortable in order to keep certain people away can lead to other groups being affected as well. Those with disabilities, the elderly and the pregnant will be significantly affected by this architectural design.
Hostile architecture may be seen by some to encourage those who are houseless to seek out shelters, but shelters often fill up. Those who can’t get a bed at a shelter or may feel unsafe in one are left with fewer options for safe shelter for the night.
The use of hostile architecture can be seen as dehumanizing as it tries to ward out “undesirable” behavior, making houseless people feel unwanted.
“People experiencing homelessness already face hardships and obstacles that only continue to marginalize them. Hostile architecture is dehumanizing and unethical,” said HomeMore’s website.
Creating hostile architecture does not fix the problem of houselessness, just as it does not prevent skateboarders or people from littering; it just creates more problems for individuals who don’t need them.