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Imagine walking through the city and being “guided”—without anyone holding up a sign.
Unfriendly architecture: nudging with a barbed wire aura
Unfriendly architecture (also known as “defensive architecture”) is design that excludes people rather than inviting them in. Not with words, but with shapes.
That's nudging – only not as a gentle nudge, but as a silent push out the door.
Typical examples you're guaranteed to have seen
Benches with armrests in the middle: sitting yes, lying down no.
Spikes on wall projections: “No one is allowed here.”
Sloping surfaces instead of seating edges: no breaks, no lingering.
Sound/light/sprinklers in corners: “Please move on.”
The goal is rarely “beautiful” – it is to control behavior: less lingering, less visibility, less “disorder.”
Nudging: Where does the nudge end and manipulation begin?
At its core, nudging is decision architecture. You design the environment in such a way that certain behaviors become more likely.
The question is not: Is it being controlled? But rather: For whom and at what price?
Pro argument: Safety, cleanliness, order, less vandalism.
Criticism: It often affects the most vulnerable—homeless people, young people, people without a “place.”
Ethics check: Is a problem being solved—or just made invisible?
Mini check: “Good nudging” vs. “cold nudging.”
Answer spontaneously:
Does it help me make a better decision?
Do I have a real alternative?
Is the intention transparent and fair?
If you feel “no” 2–3 times: It's more design than an instrument of power.
Now it's your turn 👇
1) Comment with an example from your city: What was the moment when you thought, “Okay... this wasn't built by accident”?
2) Quick vote (just write A/B/C):
A) “Totally okay—the city has to function”
B) “Depends—context is key”
C) “Not okay at all – hostile to people”
3) Challenge:
On your next walk, take 3 photos of “invisible nudges” (they don't have to be spikes – guidance systems, barriers, and pathways also count) and post one of them here with 2 sentences:
What should I do?
How does it feel?
If enough examples are collected here, I will turn them into a small nudging map for the next Skool post (with categories: friendly, neutral, unfriendly).
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