B1 – Intermediate
Over the last year, many buildings have installed “anti-homeless” spikes like these to stop people sleeping in the streets. The spikes are appearing in major cities such as London and Manchester, outside shops and under bridges where homeless people usually sleep.
The shops and businesses believe that when homeless people sleep near their buildings, this gives a bad impression to customers and it might stop people entering the buildings.
These spikes were installed outside Selfridges, a luxury department store in Manchester, on the 1st December last year.
The store says it has installed these spikes because customers have complained that people who sat here smoked and left litter. This made the front of the shop look ugly.
The phenomenon of “defensive architecture” such as this is very controversial. Over 3,000 people have signed a petition to remove the spikes from Selfridges saying that these spikes are “inhumane” and that they will not help solve the problem of homelessness in the UK. It will only move the problem to a different place.
The Guardian newspaper says that this type of architecture is a type of apartheid: it stops homeless people living in public places. It makes them invisible to the rest of society.
The UK is not the only country to install “anti-homeless” architecture. Spikes are also used in China. In New York City a famous bookstore has used water sprinklers to get rid of homeless people from the front of the shop.
Discussion Questions:
- What is your opinion about “defensive architecture”?
- Why is “defensive architecture” a controversial issue?
- What do you think can be done about homelessness in general?
6 replies on “Spikes Stop People Sleeping in the Streets”
What is your opinion about “defensive architecture”?
It´s a simply way to manage situations that generate conflicts in cities or it´s a defensive measure against crime and accidents, but in this case, it only serves to separate homeless people, don´t help for solve the problem.
Why is “defensive architecture” a controversial issue?
All the people have rights and we can´t discriminate a group by economical reasons, ethnicity or religion, the defensive architecture in this case, must be removed.
What do you think can be done about homelessness in general?
There a lot factors in this cuestion, economical problems, mental health problems, familiary problems. Anyway, the social public sistems must accompany the homeless people in the specific problem.
Well done writing your answers. Keep going with your writing practice.
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1. What is your opinion about “defensive architecture”?
I think that this defensive architecture doesn’t help solve the problem of homelessness. The problem continues exiting but they only did to move them to other side.
2. Why is “defensive architecture” a controversial issue?
Because it is this type of defensive architecture is a type of apartheid, it stops homeless people living in public places and makes them invisible to the rest of society.
3. What do you think can be done about homelessness in general?
I think that it is a very difficult question to answer. The best way would be to help them to integrate in the society, they need to work and to have a normal life as us. So they could work in specials jobs and in return give them hospitality.
It’s good to hear your thoughts on this topic. Thank you for taking the time to write your answers.
Here is a better way to express this sentence:
Until your next entry!
1. What is your opinion about “defensive architecture”?
I believe that defensive architecture is necessary, especially in large cities to avoid incidents between citizens, such as small stones placed on the road to separate the bike lane from cars, or speed bumps placed in special areas such as schools or areas with heavy foot traffic to slow down cars or park barriers to prevent cars from encroaching on sidewalks.
2. Why is “defensive architecture” a controversial issue?
I agree that “defensive architecture” is controversial, like everything in life, it never rains to everyone’s liking and there are people who don’t agree with it for aesthetic reasons, others for reasons of security and others are totally according to the “defensive architecture”.
3. What do you think can be done about homelessness in general?
Perhaps one way to reduce the problem is to have an active and efficient social assistance network, which can offer a place to sleep and a plate to eat to people in need or promote the construction of social buildings that can house them.
You’re doing a good job on your writing practice. Keep it up!
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Until your next entry!