“We are simply being pressed out, slowly but surely” - Unhoused peoples’ experience with exclusionary design

With interest in ‘what it is like to be subjected to?’ this article provides insight into unhoused people’s experiences of being exposed to ‘exclusionary design’ (Jensen, 2019, 2023), and how this type of design affects their everyday life. Exclusionary design encompasses elements such as benches divided into sections with armrests, sound installations with music set up in station areas, and areas that are fenced off. In the study of the experience of exclusionary design, 15 unhoused people were interviewed, and it is the statements of some of these people that form the foundation of this article, offering a deeper understanding of the impact of being rejected by exclusionary design in public spaces. The article concludes that three particular aspects are prevalent: exclusionary design is perceived as (1) unsolidary, (2) destructive, and (3) a stress factor in an already chaotic existence.