The deployment of so-called defensive architecture is in the news again. This time the controversy is in the public realm, as San Francisco considers a fence to keep homeless out of McCoppin Hub.
"There are many proposed solutions for the city’s homeless problems: more housing, more treatment, more funding, more tough love," writes Adam Brinklow. "The latest proposal is a fence around a troubled plaza."
The fence in question would go up around McCoppin Hub, a public square near Market and Valencia Street.
Local blogger Michael Petrelis broke the news that McCoppin Hub will be fenced in as an anti-homeless measure by Labor Day.
Brinklow sums up the trouble with using a fence as a deterrent to the homeless:
There would appear to be a built-in contradiction here: If the plaza is a public space, the public should presumably have access to it. "Installing this fence will not only keep the homeless out, it will keep all the rest of us locked outside too," the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence complained in an online petition circulated last year.
The article also includes a poll to ask readers whether they support the fence. At the time of this writing, 472 respondents have weighed in on the question, with 61 percent saying the fence should go up.
FULL STORY: Poll: Should the City Fence the Homeless Out of Plazas?
The Resurgence of Anti-Homeless Policy and Design
A report by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley tracks the proliferation of vagrancy laws in the Golden State. Meanwhile, The Guardian notes the spread of so-called "defensive architecture."
On the Value of Small Spaces in Remaking the Public Realm
San Francisco Chronicle Architecture Critic John King reviews, and celebrates, the recent string of small projects that reclaim public space in the city, calling them "modest works of true ambition."
Why You Can Never Find a Bench in San Francisco
Over the last two decades the city of San Francisco has systematically removed its public benches to fight homelessness. Now citizens are clamoring for their return.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions