Ep 319 Peacewarts: Morphological Peace 101 – Orientation & The Architecture of Cruelty (Class 1)

We enter the builder's studio to launch the Department of Morphological Peace, establishing how structural shape determines civic flow. Using London anti-homeless stud removals, the Camden bench, Seneca Village, Grants Pass v. Johnson, and local shelter litigation in Chico as historical anchors, we explore how to audit defensive urban design and convert hostile architecture into spaces of rest and contact.

Homework:

1. Look up the design of the 2012 Camden bench and identify two specific physical features built into its concrete shape to deter specific human behaviors.
2. Write down one question about any of this episode's topics. If you don't have a question, write 'no question.'
3. Optional: Walk through your local town or neighborhood. Take note of one spot where hostile architecture is present and journal about how that space could be redesigned to offer contact and rest instead of dispersal.

Books: If you would like to read more on this subject, some book suggestions are Callous Objects: Designs Against the Homeless by Robert Rosenberger, an essential examination of how public space is engineered to exclude vulnerable populations, and The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces by William H. Whyte, a classic observational study detailing how specific physical design choices either draw human beings together or drive them apart.

Learning Topics: Hostile Architecture; Defensive Urban Design; Camden Bench; Seneca Village; Grants Pass v. Johnson; Warren v. City of Chico; Re-Commoning.

Join the Community / Get the Books: https://www.AvisKalfsbeek.com

Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Sound effects: Pixabay