In Portland, a set of mysteriously installed bike racks is prompting questions about their true purpose.
In an article in the Portland Mercury, Alex Zielinski describes “perhaps the most Portland form of ‘hostile architecture’: bike racks.” A set of 22 bike racks was mysteriously installed on a block of NW Broadway, prompting questions about who installed them and why.
“Notably, this wall of bike racks appeared in front of what appears to be a vacant, boarded-up building with no attractions that would require hoards of bike parking,” Zielinski points out. However, “It's not unusual for multiple tents and other ad-hoc shelters to line this block in particular. The city's homeless encampment reporting system shows that members of the public have repeatedly reported campers on the sidewalk that's now dotted with bike racks.”
Portland isn’t the only place where bike racks have served as an anti-homeless measure. “In 2017, Seattle's transportation department coordinated with police to install bike racks on a sidewalk shortly after sweeping a homeless camp in the area. In this case, however, it's not a city-sponsored program.” In fact, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) was not aware of the installation. The owner of the adjacent vacant property did not respond to an inquiry about the bike racks.
FULL STORY: Portland's Newest Anti-Homeless Structures? Bike Racks.
One Year Into Brazil’s ‘Hostile Architecture’ Ban
A recent law prohibits ‘defensive’ architecture designed to keep people away from buildings or public spaces.
How ‘Hostile Design’ Creates Unwelcoming Spaces
‘Defensive urbanism’ interventions explicitly seek to repel certain, often vulnerable, social groups from public spaces.
Philadelphia Park Designed for, not Against, People Experiencing Homelessness
In an effort to make public spaces more inclusive, a new pocket park in the Callowhill neighborhood will seek input from people experiencing homelessness on how to make the space more welcoming and functional.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule
The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.
Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.
Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service