Callous objects: Designs against the homeless

Abstract

Why are bus stops in particular a place where some homeless people prefer to sleep? Even if we’ve never been homeless our- selves, we can take a guess at what factors might be involved. Perhaps we’ve seen homeless people sleeping on benches in parks or subway stations, so we know that benches at bus stops— although designed for sitting—also afford homeless people a place to lie down. Surely another reason is the fact that bus stops are of- ten equipped with a small rooftop and walls that offer some shel- ter from the rain, wind, and sun. If we are at all familiar with the dangers that come with sleeping on the street, then we might also guess that bus stops provide the relative safety of a well-trafficked and possibly well-lit public area.