NYC is Building Anti-Homeless Streets…

Summary

The video explores the concept of hostile architecture, which refers to design elements intended to deter homeless people and others from using public spaces in unintended ways. Examples include armrests on benches, uneven surfaces, and a lack of seating in public areas like parks and train stations. The narrator highlights controversial instances of hostile architecture in New York City, including subway stations and parks, and discusses the ethical implications of such designs, which prioritize orderliness over the comfort and needs of vulnerable populations.

Takeaways

• 🏙️ Hostile architecture is designed to prevent homeless people from using public spaces, often causing outrage from local communities.
• 🪑 Features like armrests in the middle of benches and uneven surfaces are implemented to make it uncomfortable to sleep or rest for long periods.
• 🧱 Examples of hostile architecture include spikes on window sills, curved benches, and large rocks under bridges in cities like London, Paris, and DC.
• 🚇 New York City subways have been redesigned to discourage homeless individuals from seeking warmth, with features like uneven benches and reduced seating.
• ❄️ The removal of subway benches during winter sparked outrage, as these spaces are often refuges for the homeless to avoid freezing temperatures.
• 🔧 Some subway stations introduced ‘leaning posts’ instead of benches, making it harder for the elderly, disabled, and pregnant individuals to rest comfortably.
• 💰 Despite high costs, new train stations like Moynihan Trail in NYC lack basic seating, encouraging people to spend money at surrounding businesses instead.
• 🚶‍♂️ Public parks like the Highline in NYC use uncomfortable benches and awkward designs to encourage visitors to move quickly and not linger.
• ⛓️ The design of places like Zucotti Park, site of Occupy Wall Street protests, discourages gatherings through the use of hard, cold surfaces and crowd control features.
• 🏞️ While hostile architecture may manage crowds and keep areas orderly, critics argue it reduces the quality of life for everyone, especially the homeless and vulnerable.

Q & A

What is hostile architecture, as described in the video?

Hostile architecture refers to public installations or design features intended to deter homeless people or other unwanted behaviors, such as sleeping or loitering. These designs are often uncomfortable or inaccessible, like benches with armrests that prevent lying down, spikes on window sills, or uneven surfaces.

Why do cities implement hostile architecture?

Cities often implement hostile architecture to maintain order in public spaces and deter homeless people from staying in specific areas. It is seen as a way to manage loitering or unauthorized use of public spaces, but it can backfire by reducing the quality of life for all citizens and targeting vulnerable populations.

What are some examples of hostile architecture mentioned in the video?

Examples mentioned include armrests on benches to prevent lying down, spikes on window sills, curved benches in Washington D.C., uneven metal surfaces on subway grates to stop people from sleeping on them, and the removal of bench seatbacks in subway stations.

How did the public react to the removal of benches in New York City subway stations?

The public reacted with outrage, as the removal of benches affected not just the homeless but also elderly people, pregnant women, and others who rely on seating. After backlash, the city reinstalled benches, but these still included elements of hostile architecture, such as armrests to prevent lying down.

What argument do critics of hostile architecture make?

Critics argue that hostile architecture is cruel and unnecessary, as it targets the needy and does not solve homelessness. They believe it reduces the quality of life for everyone, including those who need public spaces for legitimate purposes, and doesn't address the root causes of homelessness.

How does hostile architecture affect the homeless in New York City during the winter?

Hostile architecture, such as covering subway grates that provide warmth, makes it harder for homeless people to find refuge during the cold winter months. Despite the presence of shelters, many avoid them due to poor conditions and safety concerns, leaving them to seek warmth in public spaces, which are increasingly designed to deter them.

What was the controversy surrounding the new train station in New York City?

The new Moynihan Train Hall, which cost over a billion dollars, lacks seating for the public. Critics argue that the absence of benches is a deliberate move to prevent loitering, forcing people to stand or pay to sit in lounges. This design choice has been viewed as another example of hostile architecture.

How does hostile architecture extend beyond public transportation stations in New York City?

Hostile architecture in New York extends to parks and public spaces, such as benches designed to be uncomfortable or inaccessible, granite surfaces that become cold and hard to sit on, and awkward seating arrangements intended to control foot traffic or discourage gatherings.

What impact does hostile architecture have on public spaces like parks?

In parks, hostile architecture creates uncomfortable seating and awkward designs that limit how long people can stay. These designs aim to keep spaces orderly and prevent large gatherings, but they also lower the overall comfort and usability of the space for all visitors.

What role did hostile architecture play during the Occupy Wall Street movement?

During the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011, protesters camped in Zuccotti Park, which had hostile design features such as hard granite benches and ridged surfaces. Despite the uncomfortable environment, protesters stayed for over a month, highlighting how hostile architecture can deter but not completely prevent long-term occupation of public spaces.

Outlines

00:00

🛑 The Rise of Hostile Architecture

The video begins by introducing the concept of hostile architecture, which is designed to deter homeless individuals from using public spaces. Examples include armrests on benches and rocks under bridges. In various cities like London, Paris, and Washington, D.C., structures like spikes, curved benches, and metal coverings are used to prevent the homeless from staying in public areas. These designs are seen as cruel by critics, who argue they target the most vulnerable in society. The narrator highlights uncomfortable, uneven surfaces used deliberately to discourage lying down.

05:00

🚇 Subway Bench Controversy

This section focuses on New York City's controversial removal of subway benches as part of hostile architecture. At the 23rd Street and 6th Avenue subway stop, benches were removed to deter homeless individuals, sparking outrage from the public. Riders, including the elderly and pregnant, were impacted by the lack of seating. Although some benches were reinstalled, they now include armrests that prevent lying down. Critics argue that such changes harm all users and possibly violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.

10:01

❄️ The Dark Side of Removing Subway Benches

The script dives deeper into the implications of removing subway benches during harsh New York winters, when homeless individuals seek warmth from subway vents. Although shelters exist, they have poor reputations and are overcrowded due to an asylum crisis. Critics argue that removing benches does not solve homelessness but simply displaces those in need. The city's attempt to quietly introduce hostile architecture is seen as an attempt to avoid further public backlash, as the video shows how developers are trying to be discreet with these measures.

🏢 The Billion-Dollar Train Station with No Seats

The video shifts to the new Moynihan Train Hall in New York City, a billion-dollar project praised for its design but criticized for lacking seating. The absence of benches is deliberate, likely aimed at encouraging people to spend money in the station's shops and eateries. The lack of seats is seen as part of a growing trend in hostile architecture, designed to prevent loitering. Security actively enforces rules, such as preventing people from sitting on the floor, further highlighting the intentional discomfort of the design.

🌳 Highline Park's Hostile Seating

The narrator examines Highline Park, a unique park built on an old railway track in New York City. While visually appealing, much of the seating is uncomfortable and impractical. Benches are narrow and angled, making them unsuitable for sitting for long periods. The park's design appears to encourage people to move rather than linger, with awkward seating and barriers guiding traffic flow. The park is highlighted as another example of hostile architecture, where aesthetics take precedence over comfort.

🏙️ Zucotti Park and Occupy Wall Street

The video concludes by examining Zucotti Park, known for being the site of the Occupy Wall Street protests in 2011. The park’s design, with its cold granite benches and jagged landscape, is seen as deliberately uncomfortable, discouraging people from gathering for long periods. The park is described as an inhospitable space that made it difficult for protesters to stay. The narrator reflects on whether public spaces should be built in ways that reduce the quality of life for everyone, emphasizing the ethical concerns surrounding hostile architecture.

Keywords

💡Hostile architecture

Hostile architecture refers to the design of public spaces that deliberately makes them uncomfortable or uninhabitable for certain groups, particularly the homeless. This includes spikes on window sills, uneven benches, or armrests that prevent lying down. The video discusses how cities like New York use this architecture to deter homeless individuals from resting in public areas, emphasizing its controversial nature as it targets vulnerable populations.

💡Subway benches

Subway benches are a key focus in the video as a form of hostile architecture. In New York, benches have been removed or replaced with uncomfortable alternatives to discourage homeless people from sleeping on them. The video highlights how such changes also affect other groups like the elderly or pregnant women, reducing comfort for all users.

💡Public outrage

Public outrage refers to the negative reaction from the community when they discover the intentional discomfort caused by hostile architecture. In the video, outrage ensues when benches are removed from a subway platform, leading to the reinstallation of less comfortable alternatives. This backlash exemplifies the broader societal disapproval of hostile design practices.

💡Homelessness

Homelessness is a central issue in the video, especially how urban design targets this population. Hostile architecture is often used to prevent homeless people from finding temporary shelter in public spaces, such as subway grates where warm air is released. The video argues that removing benches or installing spikes does not solve homelessness, but rather marginalizes these individuals further.

💡Anti-homeless measures

Anti-homeless measures are the tactics cities use to prevent homeless people from using public spaces for shelter. These include armrests on benches, slanted surfaces, and even spikes. The video critiques these measures as 'cruel and unnecessary' because they only serve to make life harder for the homeless without addressing the root of the problem.

💡Moynihan Train Hall

Moynihan Train Hall is a newly built train station in New York, featured in the video as an example of modern hostile architecture. Despite its billion-dollar cost and attractive design, it lacks public seating, forcing people to stand or spend money in nearby shops. This lack of seating is a deliberate design choice to control behavior and prevent loitering.

💡Loitering

Loitering is the act of remaining in a public space without a clear purpose, often seen as undesirable behavior in cities. The video discusses how removing benches and other comfortable features is a tactic used by cities like New York to reduce loitering. However, it also points out that such measures disproportionately affect the homeless and people waiting for transportation.

💡Design ethics

Design ethics refer to the moral considerations that should be taken into account when designing public spaces. The video questions the ethics behind hostile architecture, arguing that while it may make spaces more orderly, it also strips vulnerable people of basic dignity and comfort. The balance between maintaining order and ensuring public welfare is a recurring theme.

💡Public space

Public space is a core concept in the video, focusing on areas like subway platforms, parks, and train stations. These spaces are meant to serve everyone, but the video argues that hostile architecture changes the nature of these spaces, making them less accessible to the public, especially marginalized groups like the homeless.

💡Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is mentioned in the video in relation to the removal of benches in subway stations. Some critics suggested that removing benches violated the ADA by making public spaces less accessible to people with disabilities. The video highlights this as an example of how hostile architecture can have broader, unintended consequences beyond its anti-homeless intent.

Highlights

Hostile architecture is designed to prevent homeless people from using public spaces by adding features like armrests in benches and large rocks under bridges.

These designs are often called cruel and unnecessary by homeless advocates because they target vulnerable people.

In New York City, subway grates used to provide warmth in winter, but now have uneven metal coverings to prevent people from lying on them.

Removing benches from subway platforms outraged the public, as elderly, pregnant, and disabled individuals also need places to sit.

Even when benches are returned, they include elements like armrests to prevent lying down, showcasing a continued effort to deter homeless people.

Removing the seatbacks from benches in subway stations was another method used to reduce loitering, affecting everyone’s comfort.

The new Moynihan Train Hall, costing over a billion dollars, has no public seating, forcing people to stand or pay to sit in lounges.

Many of these hostile architectural designs, like in train stations and parks, seem visually appealing but are uncomfortable to use.

Security guards in stations often enforce rules preventing people from sitting on the floor, even though there are no seats available.

Highline Park, though aesthetically pleasing, features benches and areas designed to prevent comfortable sitting or lying down.

Some hostile designs, like sharp ridges on surfaces, make it physically painful to rest in public spaces.

Hostile architecture extends beyond indoor spaces and can be seen in outdoor public parks where benches and barriers are constructed to discourage prolonged stays.

Zuccotti Park, the site of the Occupy Wall Street movement, is a prime example of hostile architecture with its uncomfortable granite surfaces and ridges.

The Occupy Wall Street protesters endured harsh conditions in the park, which was designed to deter gatherings with uncomfortable design elements.

There is a growing criticism that hostile architecture lowers the overall quality of public spaces for everyone, not just the homeless.

Transcripts

[Music]

what the heck are these things and why

are there five of them the goal was to

prevent homeless from sleeping under

this bridge instead it backlashed with

outrage from the town armrests in the

middle of benches to large rocks added

underneath Bridges homeless Advocates

call these designs hostile architecture

or anti-homeless in London and Paris you

see spikes on window sills in DC a

curved bench hostile architecture is

when cities put features in the

architecture to try to keep homeless

people away spikes that would hurt

people seems like a bad

[Music]

idea so this looks like a metal covering

for the subway vent which is underneath

it at first I thought it was a bench but

you can really only sit on this corner

of it you'll notice that the top of this

is incredibly uneven and then there's

these raised ridges which are on all

five of them and what happens if you try

to lay down on it is that even

possible oh that is like the most

uncomfortable thing I've ever

experienced this Ridge right here is

going into my spine and that's on

purpose and this is called hostile

architecture and critics of hostile

architecture say that usually these

types of installations are cruel and

unnecessary because they target the

needy and we're going to look at a whole

bunch of examples of this Subway benches

that serve no purpose a train station

designed to make you go crazy and

several parks that look nice but were

designed to be so uncomfortable that

you'll leave after 5 or 10 minutes and

they're all here in New York now hostile

or defensive architecture consists of

public installations like this which are

designed to do one thing while

preventing another thing this right here

is a normal uncovered Subway grate and

in the winter time when it's cold out

some someone with nowhere to go might

want to use an area like this to help

keep warm because warm air comes out of

here and right now New York City is

experiencing record homelessness and

lately both private developers and the

city have been building all sorts of

things like this but they've got to be

really sneaky about it because when I

found out what these were it made me

pretty uncomfortable to realize that

they were specifically designed to stop

people who have nothing from staying

warm in the wintertime is that okay and

sometimes when cities build stuff like

this people find out and get really

upset and that's what happened to years

ago when the city started introducing

hostile architecture to the subway

[Music]

system this is the 23rd Street and 6th

Avenue subway stop and it looks like a

normal subway station but it was the

site of heated controversy when the City

subway the MTA introduced hostile

architecture to this station a couple

years ago Riders noticed that the

benches in this very same platform were

suddenly removed and as you can imagine

people were not happy about that not

only because of how cruel it might seem

towards certain individuals but also

because the elderly people who are

pregnant there's other people that need

benches in the subway too and this was a

quality of life hit for everybody on

this platform and the benches were

originally along this wall and look at

what the replacement is is this even a

replacement I mean you can lean on it I

guess this is better than leaning

yourself against the wall which might be

dirty it has spots for four leaners now

there are two benches in this platform

which were put back after the city

realized that their decision had

outraged people but even these have

elements of hostile architecture in them

look at these armrests all you can do is

sit here you can't lay down this is only

like 2 ft wide its only purpose is for

sitting it is hostile to any other

intended use look you can't even be that

wide in here some people even suggested

the city had violated the Americans with

Disabilities Act by removing the benches

and this isn't the first time the city

had done something like this check this

out a year earlier the city had removed

all of the seatbacks from the benches on

a subway station just a couple blocks

south of this one the city claims that

once they did that they saw a reduction

in the number of people loitering on the

platform along with an increase in the

number of passengers who were on the

platform waiting for trains but by

removing the seatbacks from the benches

that were already there they essentially

did exactly what this is by creating

something that's less functional and

lowers everyone's uh quality of use when

they're in the subway and I'm noticing

that this is a trend because look at all

the people standing with nowhere to sit

you see these concrete patches right

here there was something here it was

probably a bench it looks to be about

that wide there's one other over here by

the door and there are no benches

anywhere else just one more spot to lean

right over there and before we look at

how the city is using these same type of

designs at a brand new train station and

a bunch of public parks it's important

to understand that this is exposing the

dark side of this type architecture

because there might be benefits as far

as the orderliness of the subway system

is concerned but New York City gets

pretty cold in the winter time and the

subway is a place where needy New

Yorkers go when they have nowhere else

to go so that they don't freeze and yes

the city has shelters but they have a

rather poor reputation and because of

New York's Asylum crisis the shelter

system's already maxed out and since the

shelters are perceived as being

dangerous it makes tons of sense that

people would rather take their chances

in a place like this and removing Subway

benches doesn't do anything to make

people less homeless they're still

homeless even if you remove the benches

and they still got nowhere to go and

most critics of these types of policies

they want a clean Subway too but they

don't really think it's fair to take

from people who already have so little

and the city's subsequent removal of

benches here and reinstallation of

different benches that basically let the

city know that if they're going to do

stuff like this they've got to be

sneakier about it and they have been as

we're about to see

[Music]

isn't that wild this is a pretty

impressive train station but there are

some serious problems with it that we'll

get into but first it's important to

understand that many aspects of this

design and other hostile designs are

nice nice to look at not necessarily

nice to use but this is called the moan

Trail and it is the newest train station

in New York City building it cost over a

billion dollars and it was completed

just a couple of years ago it also has

this gorgeous glass ceiling which is a

throwback to Penn Station's original

design Pen Station is where Madison

Square Garden is that's directly across

the street and this is what that used to

look like and as far as train stations

go this is pretty nice look there's a

full Walgreens in here there's an eery

with a bunch of restaurants the

ticketing areas everything here is

gorgeous but there's one glaring flaw

and no it's not that fixing the

expensive glass roof is something that

takes a while and it's hard to do look

at the size of that cherry picker they

got right there do you see the problem

there's no seats and that's why every

single person in this billion dooll

terminal is standing and it's a train

station the only thing there is to do

here is wait for things to happen not a

seat in the whole place do you think

they should put some benches in here so

people have a place to sit that's a

great idea it is right that is a great

idea did you know they spent over a

billion dollars making this and they

didn't put benches not a single bench I

mean they have those lounges over there

but that's for people that have tickets

yeah you got to pay like Spirit Airlines

oh you want to see you got to pay now

having no benches could be a ploy from

these corporations to get you to go

inside and spend money and it seems to

be working there's a lot of people over

here but the lack of seating is a

deliberately hostile Choice people just

plop their stuff down on the floor and

if you're wondering why nobody's trying

to sit on the floor that's because

Security will find you and make you

stand up and to be fair this old image

of Penn Station look I see some seats

down here at the bottom so maybe there

were more seats there then there are

here in its reimagination but you know

the old station is mostly open space and

what that could mean is that space is a

great Spartan design for a public train

station in New York City and you know

the way to answer that is to go across

the street to the ugliest building in

town which is also a train

[Music]

station look at that it's the same deal

one hour limit and you got to have a

ticket to get into the waiting area and

everyone else in this beautiful piece of

New York City architecture is standing

or walking I love the 1970s aluminum

ceiling the floor reminds me of my

elementary school and look at this these

are those crazy old school drop tile

ceilings now this certainly isn't modern

new or Fancy by any stretch of the

imagination but it's eerily similar to

what's across the street because all

this open space with no seats that's

hostile architecture at least the new

monitors are bright but this is another

design where absolutely nothing about it

is meant to be comfortable luckily there

are seats inside some of the little

restaurants over here which she'll be

paying for and look at this the wall is

even roped off for some reason maybe

it's because they've got this fancy tile

and this artwork on it and they don't

want people who have nowhere to sit

leaning on it but back in 2020 loitering

in this station and in Grand Central

caused economic issues for small

businesses that are here paying rent and

in addition to building things in a way

that is not conducive to comfort in any

manner the city stepped up security but

unfortunately this is a 24-hour facility

and those most negatively impacted by

hostile architect ual design and

policing were those who needed a place

when it was cold out but New York

doesn't just limit hostile architecture

to the inside of buildings now it's on

the outside as well and no I'm not

talking about how they roped off all the

steps at the post office so no one can

sit here back in the day you could climb

the steps there are doors over here but

now look they got it all roped off it's

just here looking pretty very pretty I'm

not talking about this I'm talking about

something way worse

this isn't really comfortable I can't

believe whoever designed this calls this

a bench and got away with it it's

actually like a barrier if you think

about it this is the Highline Park and

it's actually a park built upon an old

rail raay track which means many parts

of it are skinny and narrow but it's

also very long it goes like 15 blocks

there be some of the old train tracks

right there underneath us and I'm

guessing that these barrier benches

serve to move the flow of traffic down

the park and I guess they don't want big

groups inside these little triangle

areas oh look another awkward place to

sit I feel like I'm a little close to

the traffic here and this is what

happens if you try to lay down on it

look my shoulders and arms are falling

off the side what a bizarre way to

construct something there's no way

you're going to sit on a bench like this

for very long maybe just long enough to

eat a sweet green salad and look at this

geometric nightmare right here I bet

people were getting hurt on this thing

that's why they had to rope it off you

can see that these two benches are

basically here to tell this traffic to

go this way and to have this traffic

come this way only someone with a

college degree could come up with this I

know because I have a degree now in

spite of how this entire section of the

park is textbook hostile architecture

that changes in this area that opens up

because over here we've got what seems

to be an actual seat this is definitely

better than the awkward bench and I'm

pretty sure the designers of this park

envisioned it as an Urban Pathway that

leads north to south along Manhattan's

west side with some areas being akin to

a nature walk and others doubling as

observation points Isn't that cool you

can look down here see the the street

take in the views it's definitely a

beautiful Park if you're ever around

here you should come out here and walk

on it and sit on it and from time to

time they will put in very bizarre art

installations like this pink tree which

probably symbolizes something also of

note this is a primate Park and it does

close at a certain point so it's not

like Central Park where you should

expect to be able to go in and leave at

any point you want check out these

hostile bleachers maybe it's modern

maybe it's futuristic but um it's not

exactly comfortable and there's about as

much leg room here as Spirit Airlines

will give you I don't think you could

stay here for a very long period of time

and maybe that's the point but what if a

group of people went to a place that was

filled with hostile architecture here in

New York and tried to stay there what

would happen that's what we're going to

go find

out welcome to zcat park the most

hostile piece of architect we're going

to see today so today I'm doing hostile

architecture like this right and I think

this is the most cruel Park in New York

because this Granite gets so cold just

sitting on it made me freeze my butt off

and look at how high The Ridges are

sticking up out of this thing these

Granite tables are equally cruel and

unforgiving and look at all these

nightmarish angles with like the way

that this plant is the whole thing is

like designed for crowd control but back

in 2011 this park was the site of the

Occupy Wall Street movement where

protesters camped out in this park for

about a month see this image right here

with that red bar behind that guy that

was taken right over here and whether

you agree with their message or not it

took a lot of determination to stay in

this place for more than 15 minutes I

mean it is just a Barren landscape and

yes there are trees but look at their

position they're only designed to

eliminate crowds of people between these

benches these trees and these weird

plant box boxes right here it's tough to

have like a mass Gathering and look at

this little Ridge that just kind of

winds along here and goes up into the

stairs the whole thing is just whoever

built it wanted it to be here and they

wanted it to be looked at and that's

about it also the protesters weren't

here during the summer either they were

here from mid October until about the

end of November it gets cold at night

here in New York now yes the occupied

Wall Street movement did have

significant support there were a lot of

people who donated and helped the people

that were here stay here as long as they

could with things like sleeping bags and

food there was even a library and there

was Wi-Fi here in the park I'm sure

there were bathrooms too because I don't

see any now since 2011 the same type of

mass takeover of this park hasn't

happened before and I guess these awful

benches I guess they do uh deter but is

that really how we want to build things

should we build things in New York in a

way that maybe doesn't lower everyone's

standard of living all at the exact same

time let me know what you think thanks

for watching I'll see you in the next

one