This Archive aims to map different areas in Rotterdam which feel hostile to us. We of course realise that things that feel hostile to us (a group of 6 white, able-bodied European art students of diverse gender identities, sexualities, and socio-economic situations) might not feel hostile to others. That we might not perceive certain elements of hostile architecture simply because we are not affected by them, or that places we feel are welcoming might even be hostile to others. This Archive, therefore, only reflects our particular point of view and does not aim to be an exhaustive list. The politics of that are simply impossible for us to unravel.

What we do want to create, however, is a discourse. We believe in the importance of creating an environment in which people of all identities can voice their opinions and are listened to, as to communally strive for a better future. This is why you can find a document here, to which you can add locations in Rotterdam that feel unwelcoming or welcoming. If you like, you can also explain why they affect you in such a manner. This document will never be able to reflect all opinions either, but it might be able to offer helpful reflections, nonetheless.

Because we hope to inspire in you the notion that positive change is possible, we also consciously decided to use this platform to showcase initiatives in Rotterdam (and outside of it) that aim to create better living environments.

Hostile Architecture, or in other words, the practice of designing architecture in a way that restricts certain behaviour, dictates who can exist in the streets of the city and who cannot.

Designing Architecture to remove homeless people as to create spaces that are safe to travel through during the night is one such example. While the aim is a good one, hostile architecture just ends up fighting the wrong fight. It does not resolve the more important issue at hand: people cannot find any other refuge.
Hostile Architecture therefore frequently affects peoples basic right to shelter.

Ironically enough, Hostile Architecture often creates more issues than it solves, as it turns inviting spaces into unwelcoming ones and removes sitting options for those who may not be able to stand for too long.

While designing public spaces, participatory planning is important. Afterall, it is crucial for such planning to be driven by the communities that will be affected most by the change. Since no community is a monolith, it is essential to ask as many people as possible about how they are currently using the space and how it could be further developed to meet their needs. This way, more of the potential that the space has to offer can be tapped into. Ideally this can even lead to job opportunities for qualified professionals from those same communities.

Viable approaches to participatory planning and solutions are already being proposed by:
 -The Solarpunk movement
 -www.Designjustice.org
 -www.transitionnetwork.org

In a capitalist economy people are forced to value profit above all, turning them to conformity and neutrality in architectural design. Studies across various different spheres, like architecture, car manufacturing and fashion have shown there has been a significant increase in preference for black, grey and white colour schemes, suggesting that the western world is becoming less ‘colourful’. It is undeniable that minimalist styles are really loved by some, but when minimalism and neutral colour schemes are valued above all for their profitability in a capitalist system, we start to get homogeneous and dull environments that don’t value the diverse art and experiences that exist amongst the people. These environments start to push out the creativity, identity and culture of so many communities and individual people, when the truth is, that public spaces are never homogenous.

A major city, a place where thousands of diverse people live, make memories and experience emotions, should be a representation of that. There should be space for the people as a whole, for various communities to have spaces where they feel safe to express themselves and spaces where they can come together with other communities to exchange culture and experience.

Only then will a city feel like it has it’s own identity, and only then will it feel like home.

“We envision futures where design is used to support care, healing, liberation, joy, and deep sustainability.

We dream of worlds in which design is truly led by the experiences and brilliance of those who are marginalized by interlocking systems of oppression. We also know that birthing dreams requires discomfort and moving beyond good intentions.” – Design Justice Network

THE PROBLEM WITH HOSTILE ARCHITECTURE

PARTICIPATORY PLANNING

CULTURE & ARCHITECTURE IS BEING LOST

“Home owners anticipate their future sale of their houses and decorate them for an imagined future buyer, rather than for their own enjoyment in the present. When the number one priority is resale value, neutrals are a great investment, often at the expense of colourful idiosyncrasies and meaningful personal touches.”

Abrams, Loney. “Is the Color Gray Taking over the World?” Architectural Digest, 19 Oct. 2022,
www.architecturaldigest.com/story/the-color-gray-tiktok-color-trend-study

“The opposite of placelessness is place, and all that it implies—the resonances of history, folklore, and environment; the qualities that make a location deep, layered, and idiosyncratic. Humans are storytelling creatures. If a place has been inhabited for long enough, the stories will already be present, even if hidden. We need to uncover and resurface them, to excavate the meanings behind street names, to unearth figures lost to obscurity, and to rediscover architecture that has long since vanished.”

Anderson, Darran. “Why Every City Feels the Same Now.” The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2020,
www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/08/why-every-city-feels-same-now/615556/

Just because a place is very uniform does not mean it is without history, the people need to
be given the space to show this history.

HOSTILE ARCHITECTURE COMMODIFIES COMMUNITY

The commercialisation of public spaces pushes out the diverse communities present, as places have become purposefully designed to push out whole demographics, leading to the place losing identity, losing history, losing connections. Especially in capitalist countries like the Netherlands, a lot of communal spaces are almost synonymous with money-spending. People who are not able to shop and allegedly threaten the exclusionary definition of what the ‘public’ is meant to entail, like young people or the homeless, are ‘designed out’.

Walking around Rotterdam, we found ourselves reminiscing on ‘bench culture’ that existed in our home countries and how common it was to hang around with your friends, while just sitting on a bench and talking, with no other purpose than to spend time with each other. This made us realise that such forms of hanging out are not as common in the Netherlands, there is a lack of spaces for getting together with people that are not linked to consumerism.

Public spaces were first and foremost created as a place for people to come together, but if you’re not willing to or able to spend money you cannot access these ways of building connections, meanwhile places where various people can come together and make genuine connections without the expectation of spending money are becoming more and more scarce.

“Spatial design and configuration of space is one tool for excluding individuals from commodified public space with the aim to attract (potential) consumers while driving away individuals with no money to spend. Public space designers have hereby been tasked to “design for minimum public risk and maximum opportunity for consumption” (Smith & Walters, 2018, p2985). As Parkinson states:
“Seating is removed, often to stop allegedly threatening youngsters and homeless people from congregating, but also because sitting people do not shop” (2012, p162).”

Drieskens, Céline. “Consuming Public Spaces.” Wageningen University & Research , Aug. 2021,
Wageningen University.

You will find that in many places around the city, there are plenty of cafes with outdoor seating, but unfortunately the seating is only available to large groups of people, if said people are willing to pay to eat at a cafe. Other than that seating is scarce in a lot of areas, discouraging groups of people who are not planning to spend money from sticking around.

COMMUNITY BUILDING AND WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT

“[Public spaces] define the culture of a city by shaping how people live and experience urban life.”

Valdés , Laura. “Getting Public Space Right: Transforming Society from the Ground Up.” Metropolis, 17 Mar.2022,
www.metropolis.org/blog/getting-public-space-right-transforming-society-ground#:~:text=Public%20space%20hel
ps%20determine%20the,to%20promote%20happiness%20and%20wellbeing.

Capitalism encourages public spaces that are built solely for the purpose of consumerism, which in turn discourages community, since they become less welcome to a diverse crowd of people.

Community is vital to us as people, as throughout history we have always desired to have a sense of belonging and connection, we always learned best together and from each other, and we’ve always deeply cherished the people close to us. It provides emotional fulfilment and teaches us empathy. Community fosters education and understanding, as we come together with people who have different backgrounds to us, which allows us to position ourselves together and in relation to each other. With a better understanding, we are able to approach each other with better care. With new spaces for communities we also foster additional spaces for different cultures to show themselves, making the city an increasingly diverse and inviting place.

“It has the potential to create a sense of belonging, cultural vibrancy and in turn to promote happiness and wellbeing. It is the role of metropolitan spaces to pave the way in creating better public spaces for all.”