Portland has embarked on a gentler approach – letting the homeless bunk down on city sidewalks or pitch tents on public rights of way during evening hours, with the understanding they pack up and move out by 7 a.m.
The city's "safe sleep policy" is aimed at breaking up the homeless encampments where crime and drug use can fester by allowing people to sleep in public places and sidewalks without fear of being harassed by authorities.
More on the homelessness crisis throughout the US:
1 Comment
Over the long term, this has the problematic and interesting potential of creating skid rows. Problematic for all the negative reasons that "the city" has weighed while writing the sleep safe policy. Interesting for watching how the city will be occupied for rough sleeping and where. This in itself is a strange game of property vs. territory that presents design problems about how public space can be designed to facilitate users and interactions.
No doubt a lot of people are will be watching the outcomes.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.