For almost a decade, security features have been added to the perimeters of important public buildings without regard for aesthetics, and now are being 'beautified,' across the nation.
"When a security person looks at a security barrier or looks at the issue of perimeter security, their primary object is protecting people, or sometimes material objects," says Roger Courtenay, a veteran landscape architect in the Washington area. This colors everything that the pedestrian thinks about as they move through the space.
"Some buildings and cities have begun to think about this, and realized that well designed perimeter security doesn't have to look like perimeter security at all," writes Emily Badger
Five years ago, the National Park Service finally decided to solve the problem of protecting the National Monument by hiring landscape architect Laurie Olin. She designed what appears to be a decorative wall at the base of the hill on which the monument sits. It is unobtrusive and attractive to tourists and yet will stop a speeding truck, and is emblematic of a trend that has seen cities around the world embellish perimeters required for security.
FULL STORY: The Burgeoning Field Of Security Perimeter Design
Building Secure Yet Welcoming Public Spaces
Strategies for securing public spaces from vehicle attacks and other acts of terrorism without sacrificing accessible, vibrant urban places.
Pedestrian Barriers Installed on London's Bridges Endanger Cyclists
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San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
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Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research