“Anti-homeless spikes” are about as friendly as they sound. As you may have guessed, they’re intended to deter people who are homeless from sitting or sleeping on that concrete step. And yeah, they’re pretty awful.

The spikes (seen below) are a prime example of how cities design spaces to keep homeless people away.

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When cities design people out of public spaces

Not all concrete steps have spikes on them, but outdoor seating in cities like Montreal and Tokyo have been sneakily designed to prevent people from resting too comfortably for too long.

Of course, these designs do nothing to fight the cause or problem of homelessness. They’re just a way of saying to homeless people, “Go somewhere else. We don’t want to look at you.”

The artists who turned spikes into a statement

In 2015, one particular set of spikes was outside a former night club in London. And a local group........

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