Strategic removal of seating eliminates homeless population’s ability to rest; department celebrates “urban decongestion success”
Bohiney Magazine and The London Prat
NYC Parks Department Announces Victory Over Homelessness – Removes All Benches from Public Parks
NEW YORK The Parks Department announced Friday that it had eliminated homelessness from public parks through a simple and devastating strategy: removing all benches, forcing homeless people (and everyone else) to stand continuously or sit on the ground, thereby solving the homelessness crisis through the application of deliberate discomfort.
“We’ve effectively deterred homeless encampments in public spaces,” announced Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue at a press event held in a comfortable indoor location. “By removing seating, we’ve made parks uninhabitable for sleeping.”
The Policy Logic
The Parks Department’s theory: homeless people use parks because parks have benches. Benches are comfortable. Remove benches, and parks become uncomfortable. Uncomfortable parks discourage homeless populations through hostile urban design.
This approach represents what urban planners call “hostile architecture”deliberate design meant to discourage homeless populations through physical discomfort rather than addressing homelessness.
The Implementation
Over three weeks, the city removed approximately 2,800 benches from parks across all five boroughs. The removal cost approximately $3.4 millionmore than it would have cost to house the city’s homeless population for a monthbut the Parks Department defended the expense as “necessary for park security.”
One bench removal in Central Park cost $12,000 and required a full day of city workers and equipment to remove a wooden bench that was later discarded.
When asked if this represented poor budget allocation, officials responded: “The budget was already allocated. Removing benches was the best use of the funds.”
The Consequence Nobody Mentioned
Removing benches didn’t eliminate homeless populations from parks. It eliminated seating for everyone: tourists, elderly residents, people with disabilities, anyone who required sitting to spend time in parks.
One 74-year-old woman, attempting to sit in Central Park during a morning walk, discovered all benches removed. She sat on the ground, dirtying her clothes, and left the park after 15 minutes.
“I can’t sit anywhere,” she explained. “The city decided that parks are for standing only.”
Reports from The City’s urban policy coverage documented how removing benches harmed park accessibility for elderly and disabled residents.
The Homeless Population Response
Rather than leaving parks, homeless populations simply sat on the ground or lay on concrete. Parks became spaces where homeless people sat uncomfortably instead of sitting comfortably on benches.
The Parks Department counted this as success: “Homeless encampments have changed form but remain present. However, they’re now less comfortable, which is a victory.”
One homeless man, Thomas Williams, noted: “I slept on a bench before. Now I sleep on concrete. The bench was better. But at least I’m still here, just more uncomfortable.”
The Perverse Incentive
Removing benches, rather than discouraging park use, concentrated homeless populations in specific areas with remaining seating. Parks with no benches were avoided by both homeless individuals and housed residents, while parks with any remaining seating became overcrowded.
The result: worse conditions in parks with benches, abandoned parks without benches, and general park deterioration.
The Political Theater
Despite failed outcomes, the Parks Department defended the strategy as “taking action on homelessness,” which allowed politicians to claim they were addressing the crisis while actually exacerbating it.
See NY Post’s homelessness coverage and Gothamist’s reporting on how cities address homelessness through hostile design rather than housing.
The Actual Homelessness Problem
The city’s homelessness crisisdriven by insufficient affordable housing, mental health service deficits, and addiction treatment gapsremained completely unaddressed. The Parks Department’s bench removal solved zero underlying problems while making parks worse for everyone.
When asked if the city should address root causes, officials explained: “That would require spending money on solutions. Removing benches just requires spending money to make the problem worse, which is more efficient.”
Future Hostile Design Proposals
Having “succeeded” with benches, the Parks Department announced future hostile design measures:
Removing all ground-level seating areas
Installing uncomfortable spikes on remaining surfaces
Flooding parks periodically to discourage occupation
Playing unpleasant noise at high volume to deter park use
Eliminating parks entirely as “the most hostile design possible”
“We’re committed to creating parks that discourage human habitation,” announced Commissioner Donoghue.
For international satirical analysis of how governments address poverty through hostile design, see The London Prat’s investigation into how wealthy cities punish the poor. For additional NYC homelessness coverage, New York Times has comprehensive reporting.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/