Hostile Architectural Planning as an Instrument of Social Exclusion in the Urban Environment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30857/2617-0272.2026.3.6Keywords:
exclusionary design, homeless person, human rights, spatial justice, inclusive planning, CPTED, urbanismAbstract
The purpose of the study was to comprehensively analyze the mechanisms underlying hostile architectural planning in contemporary cities and to determine its impact on social justice, human rights, and the principles of inclusive urban development. To achieve this purpose, a set of interdisciplinary methods was applied: structural-functional analysis of urban spaces, comparative analysis of international practices, critical discourse analysis, typological analysis of architectural solutions, and empirical analysis of documented cases from cities in North America, Europe, and Australia over the period 2010–2025. As a result of the study, the evolution of the concept was analyzed – from Oscar Newman's "defensible space" theory of the 1970s, through the principles of crime prevention through environmental design, to contemporary practices of systematic exclusion. Four main types of hostile design and their functional characteristics were identified: anti-homeless spikes as the most aggressive form of physical deterrence; segmented benches with armrests as a disguised means of preventing lying down; barrier landscaping and rocks as pseudo-aesthetic obstacles; and the removal of public amenities as a strategy for creating "phantom spaces." It was established that hostile planning functions as a complex system of spatial segregation that masks itself as neutral safety and aesthetic solutions, securing "clean" spaces for consumption and investment by pushing vulnerable groups into less visible and less safe areas of cities. The negative psychological impact on homeless individuals was demonstrated, including intensified feelings of isolation, marginalization, stress, and loss of dignity. Geographic patterns in the placement of hostile architectural elements were empirically established: concentration in high-income business districts, distance from social services and shelters, and a close link to gentrification processes. Various forms of public resistance were identified: tactical urbanism, dismantling of hostile elements, media campaigns, and legislative initiatives.
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