"I haven’t seen anything quite like this," says Jules Boykoff, a professor and former professional soccer player who studies the impact of the Olympics on marginalized communities. "Typically, hostile architecture is more subtle." — WIRED
The worry that Los Angeles may attempt a full-scale homeless 'cleansing' ahead of the 2028 Olympics has always been present as the statistical realities make too apparent: At least 75,000 people currently live without housing in L.A. County. Now, the task for their advocates is to buck trends that already started in London in 2012.
The Reddit group r/HostileArchitecture has been roiling by images of a ‘LEGO-like’ concrete obstacle in the Saint-Denis Canal that could, regrettably, become a staple. California has been pushing encampment sweeps more aggressively in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling in late June.
4 Comments
It is clear that the administrations have not yet understood that this is not the way to solve the problem. And it is not only in Paris, in the big cities of Spain, there are hundreds of examples. Greetings from OVACEN
Providing benches and platforms for homeless to sleep isn't going to solve the problem.
That photo is misleading and the photographer is either misinformed or not understanding the intent of the horizontal tubes. The intent of the horizontal tubes are to allow people of limited mobility to lean, rather than stand, or sit. Now, I am willing to retract the statement, but I'm going to need evidence that the unhoused can sleep on angled grab bars.
I assumed the angled bars were public drying racks for the unhoused. Seems obvious given the clothes hanger type design at each end. I can also see these converted to shelters with only a simple tarp addition. Article about hostile benches is click bait at best. Nothing but hugs all around here.
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