Hostile Architecture: Architecture against Humanity?

Architecture has many purposes, and designing buildings is only one of them. It goes much further than creating walls and roofs. Architecture is about shaping spaces that respond to people’s needs, improving their everyday life, and creating environments where people feel comfortable, safe, welcomed, and even inspired. Whether it’s a home, a park, a library, or an entire city, architects consider many factors such as lighting, nature, circulation, user experience, and emotions. Architecture doesn’t stop at buildings — it also shapes landscapes, urban planning, and public spaces.

But what happens when design is intentionally created not to welcome people, but to reject them?

In the last decade, a new and very controversial concept has been appearing in cities around the world: Hostile Architecture. Also known as "defensive architecture"  or "exclusionary design," this design approach uses architecture to prevent certain behaviors in public spaces. These interventions are intentionally created to restrict activities such as sleeping, lingering for long periods, skateboarding, or gathering in areas where those actions aren’t desired.

This makes many people question: "Is hostile architecture protecting public space, or rejecting the people in it?"

Before jumping to conclusions, it’s important to understand where this concept comes from and why it’s being used more often.

What Is Hostile Architecture? – A Design Concept With a Strong Character

Hostile architecture refers to design strategies used in urban spaces to prevent public areas from being misused or turned into unsafe or uncomfortable zones. While many people associate this concept only with discouraging homeless individuals from sleeping in parks or public benches, it actually goes beyond that. It also prevents other behaviors such as:

• skateboarding on furniture

• climbing on amenities

• gathering in unsafe or hidden corners

• damaging surfaces or structures

  
  

Because of its intention, many people call it exclusionary design or defensive design. And although the name might sound harsh, the original goal is to keep public spaces functioning the way they were meant to.

Despite the criticism, the purpose behind hostile architecture is to offer a passive and creative way to ensure spaces remain safe, usable, and aligned with their intended purpose — without needing excessive signage, security guards, or constant supervision.

Instead of telling people what not to do, the design itself shapes how the space is used.

When and Why Did Hostile Architecture Become a Thing?

This design approach has become more common in the past years due to a combination of factors happening in many big cities:

1. Misuse of public spaces

Many parks and plazas that were originally designed for families, recreation, or community activities started being used in ways that were not initially planned. Some became dangerous or uncomfortable areas for regular visitors. Attempts to solve this with signage, temporary barriers, or increased security didn’t work, and in many cases, required more investment than expected.

2. Housing crises and vulnerability

With the rise of homelessness in major cities, public spaces became temporary shelters. While people’s needs must be acknowledged, cities struggled to balance safety, order, and functionality within shared spaces.

3. Protecting the original intention of a space

Some cities considered removing amenities — benches, large ledges, shaded areas — but this would remove the essence of what makes a park or plaza enjoyable.

This is where architects, landscape designers, and urban planners stepped in. They introduced a long-term solution that relied on design instead of surveillance: shaping human behavior through the environment itself.

 

Core Principles of Hostile Architecture

Since the goal is to guide people to use spaces “the right way,” the main principles revolve around designing objects or elements that:

• Add physical obstructions

Features that make certain activities (like lying down) physically difficult. This is one of the most common and straightforward methods.  For example, adding metal knobs on ledges to prevent skateboarding. These elements discourage unwanted behaviors without requiring confrontation or direct communication. They simply make the “undesired activity” not an option.

• Eliminate multifunctional surfaces

A big part of hostile design is creating objects that serve one purpose only, leaving no room for alternative (and potentially unwanted) uses. For example, benches that only allow sitting, not resting or lying down. By reducing multifunctionality, the design limits the ways people can interact with the space, guiding them into the “intended” behavior.

• Include disruptive elements

These are small design choices that subtly interrupt how people would normally use a space. They’re usually not obvious at first glance, but the moment someone tries to use the space “incorrectly,” the disruption is felt. For example, rough textures on surfaces where people tend to rest. These elements don’t stop people from being in the space — they simply discourage staying too long or using it in unintended ways.

• Create passive control

  
  

Instead of adding signs like “Do not lay here,” “No skateboarding,” or “No gathering,” hostile architecture relies on the idea that the environment itself sets the rules.The space quietly communicates how it should be used, without the need of adding cameras, officers or instructions. This passive control is one of the reasons cities prefer these strategies — once installed, they work permanently with very little maintenance or intervention. The design itself becomes the “silent regulator,” influencing behavior in a non-verbal and continuous way.

Examples of Hostile Architecture

Let’s look at some of the most commonly used hostile design strategies you’ve probably seen without even noticing:

 

1. Public Seating with Dividers

Traditional benches used to be large flat surfaces with enough space for multiple people to sit or even lie down. This became a problem when benches started being used as beds or long-term resting places.

To prevent this, designers started adding:

• armrests every single seat

• metal dividers spaced in a way that makes lying down impossible

• curved or slanted surfaces

  
  

This keeps benches functional for their original purpose (sitting) while preventing extended occupancy. It’s one of the most common and passive forms of hostile architecture.

 

2. Spikes on Flat Surfaces

These are often placed on:

• wide ledges

• building entrances

• shaded platforms

• raised planters

• window sills

  
  

Although the word “spikes” sounds aggressive, many are designed more like pyramid textures or geometric bumps. They don’t hurt anyone — but they remove the possibility of sitting, sleeping, or lingering for long periods.

Some designers even integrate them artistically, so they look like part of the landscape or a decorative feature.

3. Anti-Skateboarding Fixtures

Urban furniture is frequently damaged by skateboarding tricks, especially on metal edges or smooth ledges. To prevent this, designers use:

• metal stoppers

• small knobs

• angled trims

• uneven surfaces

These tiny additions protect public furniture without the need to ban skateboarding outright.

4. Leaning or Slanted Seats

Some public spaces use “leaning seats,” which allow people to rest for a moment but make it uncomfortable to stay longer. These are common in subway stations or high-traffic places where quick movement is preferred.

5. Strategic Landscaping

Natural elements can also be used as passive barriers:

• planting dense or thorny shrubs

• placing large decorative rocks

• using uneven or textured ground

  
  

This approach is often seen as more humane, as it blends with the environment while guiding behavior.

Architecture Shaping the Cityscape

Architecture will never be against humanity as a profession or as an intention. Its purpose has always been — and will always be — to improve people’s lives and design environments that respond to their needs.

However, architecture also carries the responsibility of protecting public spaces and ensuring they remain safe, functional, and enjoyable for everyone. In that sense, hostile architecture becomes one strategy used to guide human behavior through design. These elements quietly influence how spaces should be used, and although they can feel controversial, many people appreciate having some level of control in public spaces—without relying on officers, signage, or feeling unsafe outdoors.

The real challenge for architects and urban designers lies in finding the balance between:

• protecting spaces

• honoring the dignity of all individuals

• designing for inclusivity

• and ensuring public areas remain welcoming and functional

  
  

Hostile architecture opens the door for an important conversation:“Is it really against humanity, or is it opening opportunities for a passive solution for the good conservation of urbanism and the public spaces of our cities?”

The answer is not simple, but acknowledging the complexity is the first step. And as long as architecture continues to evolve with intention, empathy, and purpose, it will keep shaping cities that reflect not only our needs, but also our values.