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When you stroll around your favorite city, what do you notice about its architecture? Its famous landmarks? The beautiful greenery among the towering skyscrapers? Or perhaps the lively and inviting public spaces? These elements certainly grab our attention, but that's not all there is. See, bars on benches and spikes on window sills are also a part of the urban landscape, and it’s put in place to control how the environments are used.

There are many things that influence how we feel in our surroundings that we almost never notice. But unfortunately, such aggressive measures are more common than you may think, according to the eye-opening Twitter account titled 'Hostile Design'. The creator of this page collects pictures that show the dire reality of how public spaces target the houseless and don’t actually do any good to the public.

If you’re unsure of what we mean, then take a look at the compilation of pictures we gathered from the account. Just to warn you though, it’s one of those things that once you learn about it, you start seeing it everywhere. Keep reading to also find in-depth interviews with the founder of this page and public space researcher Cara Chellew. Upvote the examples that stunned you most, and if you've ever detected cases of hostile design in your own city, be sure to let us know about them in the comments below.

Psst! More urban madness can be found in our earlier post right here.

#1

Hostile-Design-Pics

hostiledesign Report

Jo Ellen Washburn
Community Member
4 years ago

You go, girl!

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    #2

    Hostile-Design-Pics

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    Michelle Line
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    I understand homeless and homeless camps are undesirable and can be problematic, but a lack of compassion is not the answer.

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    #3

    Hostile-Design-Pics

    hostiledesign Report

    Teresa Thomas
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    No one CAN yah bloody arsehole

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    #4

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    hostiledesign Report

    Cecilia Herrera
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Uncomfortable people will not linger and talk with their friends. So, less tables are needed because they will be vacated quickly. Does anyone besides me notice that the short people, be they children or short adults, must prop their feet on the table framework in order to not slide off their uncomfortable seat?! What about people with knee or other leg problems? Did anyone consider them? Is this design a direct violation of the ADA? Shame on the designer, and shame on the people that allowed these table / bench combinations to be set up on their premise.

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    #5

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    Michelle Line
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Then give the homeless somewhere they can go.

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    #6

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    Deborah Harris
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Challenge accepted 😎

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    #7

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    Misterscooter
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Nobody can even sit here. Ugly overkill.

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    #8

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    Esha
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited)

    The city should take responsibility and do something about the problem.

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    #9

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    Pterodactyl in Disguise
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Isn’t that a railing, isn’t it’s intended purpose to be to have people lean and or hold onto it??!?!

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    #10

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    Icy_Question_4977
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    If they don’t want people sitting on it, then don’t even build it !

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    #11

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    Yugan Talovich
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Somebody could really get hurt on that. Can you imagine an old lady losing her footing and hitting that?

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    #12

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    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    These designs are also really awful for the elderly and disabled.

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    #13

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    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    This makes it impossible to just plain walk.

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    #14

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    Bella10
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    I don’t disagree with this. My local public toilet is a haven for drug users and used as a beat.

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    #15

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    Matan Yussman
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Then why did you make the bench that way

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    #16

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    Misterscooter
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    You see this in cities a lot to keep people out of private yards. Often in older parts of the city. Looks better than barbed wire, for sure. In New Orleans, it deters the drunk tourists from using your yard as a toilet.

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    #17

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    Alethia Nyx
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    This isn't to stop sleeping, it's to stop skateboards etc.

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    #18

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    Teresa Thomas
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Why????

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    #19

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    Alexandria Z
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    First time a firemen gets cut on one of these bet there will be hell to pay.

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    #20

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    Misterscooter
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Still lots of room.

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    #21

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    William Bass
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited)

    OMG! That's the exact bench that I was about to post! It's the one on 39th Ave. In my hometown of Portland OR.

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    #22

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    Autistic apricot
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Why are people like this

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    #23

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    crazy_stupid
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Looks like she could give Bruce Banner a run for his money 😂

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    #24

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    unfilteredCigarette73
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    That has to be a skateboard deterrent

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    #25

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    Misterscooter
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Also, hideous.

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    #26

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    Deborah Harris
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Yay huge lego bricks

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    #27

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    Misterscooter
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Which is more hostile here, the clown or the multi-national corporation?

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    #28

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    Lutz Herting
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited)

    Come on. These are clearly to help get up from a particularly low bench. Benches that low can be a serious problem for the elderly or other people with mobility issues. This page is getting more ridiculous the farther you scroll down...

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    #29

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    Wood Carver
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Spikes are tough to see in this one... zoom on in

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    #30

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    Michelle Line
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    I'm not seeing the hostility here. You sit in the bottom of a curve and it deters a stranger from sitting right next to you. If someone does sit next to you on the top of a curve, then you know to get the helloutta there.

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    #31

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    Bella V
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    This one is stupid, first off, it looks too narrow to lay down any how and PLENTY of space in-between to sit.

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    #32

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    Misterscooter
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    My guess on this is that sitting on a semi-temporary barrier along a roadside is not very safe.

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    #33

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    Misterscooter
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Let's see. Rain drains better, less muddy to walk on and not slippery. Oh, and skateboarders won't take up the space. And since we can't see what's around this space, who knows what the purpose is here.

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    #34

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    Teresa Thomas
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Translation?

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    #35

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    UselessKnowledgeFont
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    ? I want to see the rest of the surrounding park, because this reminds me of a bench for sit-ups like can be found on a exercise circuit at my local park.

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    #36

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    Misterscooter
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Wrought iron fences around private property is hostile?

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