Barbed wire, spears on walls, fences, park benches with dividers, sharp objects and the absence of paintings: the presence of these elements in public spaces is an example of so-called hostile architecture .
Ten years ago, journalist Ben Quinn popularized this term in an article written for The Guardian , in which he reported on public spaces in London that had unpleasant designs
and alienated locals. The call for less hostile and more welcoming cities
has even older roots: in 1968, Henri Lefebvre coined the slogan Right to the City to reflect the need for greater citizen
participation and
inclusion in urban areas. Through
designs that engage public spaces , this
idea of designing more collective and interactive cities has been taking shape in several places around the world. Check out
5 of these projects below !
1. Tapis Rouge, in Carrefour-Feuilles In Haiti, design was an ally in the renovation of the Carrefour-Feuille neighborhood, which was heavily impacted by the 2010 earthquake. In the area that served as a camp for homeless people after the catastrophe, Tapis Rouge was built –
a multifunctional public space for leisure and coexistence, created by Emergent Vernacular Architecture together with the community living in the region. (Gianluca Stefani/Divulgação/CASACOR)
The project involves an open-air amphitheater surrounded by green areas and a colorful mosaic , which offers plenty of space for games, moments of relaxation and even physical exercise equipment. At Tapis Rouge, the idea of engaging the public space was conceived in the long term : around the steps, there are several Flamboyants that will create shaded areas when they are fully grown. In addition, the palm trees have storage tanks for the water distribution and sales station, which will invest the money raised in the maintenance of the public space. (Etienne Pernot du Breuil/Divulgação/CASACOR)
2. Urban Art Circuit, in Belo Horizonte Considered one of the largest public art festivals in Brazil, the Circuito Urbano de Arte, or CURA , has already held eight editions, with 26 murals on gables and four urban art viewpoints — three in Belo Horizonte and one in Manaus. The collection in Belo Horizonte is considered the largest collection of indigenous public art in the world and has the tallest murals painted by women in Latin America.
In 2021 and 2022, CURA gained prominence in the capital of Minas Gerais for engaging, through urban art, Praça Raul Soares, in the center of BH. The enormous indigenous painting "Shipibo" colored the entire area around the square and, to liven up the space even more, the project sought to shake up the city's cultural scene with artistic installations and musical events.
3. Frankfurt Metro With a touch of magical realism , the station was built in 1986 to look like an old tram had fallen onto the sidewalk. Since then, accessing the transport has become much more fun and even tourists in the city make sure to visit this work of art that marks the entrance to the subway! 4. My Heart Beats Like Yours , in Praça da República In 2019, architect and urban planner Guto Requena designed the artistic installation " My Heart Beats Like Yours " for three months in Praça da República, located in downtown São Paulo
. It is no coincidence that the work was exhibited a month before the LGBTQIA+ Pride Parade: according to Guto, the objective was to denounce violence and engage the population in the fight for diversity. (Ana Mello/Divulgação/CASACOR)
The furniture was made up of tubes in the colors of the LGBTQIA+ flag; there were also speakers with testimonies from activists and, at night, lights that pulsed to the rhythm of heartbeats. “Design can be a powerful tool for activism, as it invites us to think about equality and human rights in a simple way that has great power to spread awareness,” says Guto. (Ana Mello/Divulgação/CASACOR)
5. Pop-Up! Street Furniture in Seattle In 2014, the Pop-Up! Street Furniture installation
, designed by LMN Architects for the Seattle Design Festival, gave a new look to downtown Seattle. The project was a collective effort, bringing together students, professionals, designers and manufacturers around the same goal: to recreate public space in a playful, educational and interactive way
. 
The surprising thing is that this was done with just eight simple blocks built from reclaimed wood. From them, endless possibilities were created: a space to rest, a table to eat and an area that encouraged lots of children's play . Thus, Pop-Up! Street Furniture showed how uncomplicated urban design can make the most of public spaces and enhance interaction with the population! (Trevor Dykstra/Divulgação/CASACOR)
