Hostile architecture: challenges and alternatives for inclusive urban design

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Hostile architecture is a controversial approach in urban and architectural design that raises multiple challenges related to equity, accessibility and social inclusion in public space.

Sometimes also referred to as aggressive architecture or anti- homeless architecture , it is characterized by the use of architectural and urban elements that seek to control, limit or exclude certain groups of people in an urban environment.

Below are some of the characteristics of hostile Nigerian Email List architecture, its challenges and some alternatives towards an inclusive design.

What is hostile architecture and its characteristics
In Creating Defensible Space (1996), by the American architect Oscar Newman, it is described that hostile architecture refers to an urban design strategy that uses architectural and urban planning elements to influence human behavior and deter certain unwanted activities in public space .

What is hostile architecture and what are its characteristics.

These elements may include, for example, physical devices, barriers, uncomfortable street furniture, inadequate lighting and spatial layout that hinder or prevent comfortable access and usability of the space for some people.

This form of design is thus characterized by its objective: to cause discomfort , to discourage unwanted behavior (such as, for example, overnight stays or skating), to exclude and restrict the use of space .

According to what is referred to in Public and private spaces of the city (2003) by Ali Madanipour, professor of urban design at the University of Newcastle, these elements in design tend to create environments that “ lack aesthetic humanity .”


In this sense, the elements used in hostile architecture are usually called “ hostile devices ” and are designed to prevent activities such as vandalism, “misuse” of space or occupation by homeless people.

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Characteristics of hostile architecture
Some common examples of elements used in hostile architecture include:

Anti-sleeper divisions in public banks
These devices are installed to prevent homeless people from sleeping on benches at night.

Surfaces with sharp or rough elements
They are used in areas where you want to prevent people from sitting or lying down , such as window sills or wall edges.



Devices for reproducing unpleasant sounds
They are installed to discourage people from staying in specific places.

Fences and anti-invader fences
They are placed in public areas to prevent unauthorized access or occupation by street vendors.

Uncomfortably designed street furniture
Some street furniture, such as seats with partitions or uncomfortable armrests, are used to discourage homeless people from using them as resting places.

Inadequate lighting
Lack of lighting or poor lighting in certain public areas can create a feeling of insecurity and deter people from using spaces.

These examples illustrate how hostile architecture has been applied in different urban contexts with the aim of controlling and restricting behaviors in public space.

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Brief history of hostile architecture and its evolution
Aggressive or hostile architecture has its roots in the first attempts to control and manage public space in the 20th century . Throughout history, urban design has been influenced by concerns related to safety, public ordinance, and social control.