Lesson: Hostile Design
Hostile design, also known as defensive design or aggressive architecture, is the trend of intentionally designing public spaces or objects to discourage certain behaviours or groups of people. This can include measures such as park benches with armrests to prevent homeless individuals from sleeping on them or high-pitched alarms that only young people can hear to deter loitering. Hostile design may be intended to solve a specific problem, but it perpetuates discrimination and inequality. For example, anti-homeless spikes on sidewalks not only prevent individuals from sleeping on the ground but also make it difficult for people with disabilities or mobility issues to utilize the space as well. As cities become more densely populated, it is essential to consider the impact of design choices for public spaces on different groups of people. We should design cities for people, not hostile to them. Don’t you think?
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Example Article
Each conversation topic is based on a theme. In order to help students acquire a basic understanding of that topic, four media articles are provided for them to read. I will never test you on the articles, but I strongly suggest you book lessons far enough in advance to give yourself enough time to properly prepare. The better prepared you are, the more benefit you will receive from our conversations.
Below is an example article for this conversation topic.