(I’m responding to Emilee’s post because the comment box does not appear in her blog post)

Emilee argues in her post that parks, both in the present and in the past, represent a sense of division between the classes that is further exacerbated.  I agree with this statement, as it is apparent that parks favor the upper class and tourists, while hostile architecture prevents the homeless from residing in these parks as well.

As mentioned in the blog post, Central Park used to intentionally exclude certain class members by being so far away from the city’s minority groups.  In the present sense, Central Park has become a staple in a tourist’s guide, making it more accessible, yet also less.  The Central Park Zoo, the skating rink, and various other activities make Central Park a location of expense instead of a place that anyone can simply relax at.

Emilee also mentions the High Line, a walkway that is famous for its modern construction and scenic views.  However, it has become designed simply for the upper middle class, maintained by a nonprofit organization called Friends of the High Line.  Surveillance of the park makes this location a somewhat undesirable place to minorities and those of the lower class.  The High Line has made for a massive exclusion of the lower class, raising property value in the area and making it too exclusive for the common individual to enjoy.  With the area being the last area of affordable housing, the Meatpacking District has become all but affordable.

In these parks comes the bigger issue of hostile architecture.  Park benches with spikes, lack of benches in general, and various other designs make the lower class feel consequence of hostile architecture, social divisions, therefore, become salient with regards to public infrastructure, making the commute harder for working parents.  As hostile architecture becomes more prominent in New York City, it conversely creates public spaces alienating to the city’s disabled, homeless, working-class and elderly populations.

 

References

Roy Rosenzweig. “Introduction”, The Park and the People: A History of Central Park. Cornell University Press. 1998. 63.

Kevin Loughran. Parks for Profit: The High Line, Growth Machines, and the Uneven Development of Urban Public Spaces. Northwestern University. 2014. 50.

fordhamobserver.com/hostile-architecture-in-new-york-city/