The Anatomy of Hostile Architecture: A Form-Function-Intent Typology for Urban Furniture and Urban Interior Space

Abstract

Hostile Architecture represents a paradoxical design strategy that uses urban furniture and urban interior spaces as tools for social control, challenging the humanistic and inclusive goals of design and urban planning. While widely discussed, literature on Hostile Architecture at this micro-scale remains largely descriptive, lacking a systematic typology that deconstructs how these objects operate. This study addresses this gap by proposing an analytical framework to categorize Hostile Architecture practices. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted to identify and analyze documented cases of Hostile Architecture in urban furniture. The methodology employed a qualitative content analysis, using a novel a priori analytical framework based on three axes: Form (the specific design strategies), Function (the bodily behaviors being blocked), and Intent (the underlying social motivations). The findings identified four primary Form categories (e.g., Dividers, Non-Ergonomic Surfaces, Deterrent Textures, Spatial Barriers). These forms are explicitly linked to the obstruction of four main Functions (e.g., sleeping/lying down, long-term sitting, skateboarding, gathering) and serve three primary social Intents: the exclusion of specific groups (notably homeless individuals and youth), the assertion of spatial control, and the commercialization of public space. The study's primary contribution is the development of this "form-function-intent" matrix, an analytical typology that moves beyond descriptive case studies. This model provides a new systematic tool for designers, planners, and researchers to critically deconstruct and challenge the ethical implications of exclusionary design.