Built Barriers and Separation: A Summary

Throughout the history of the world, exclusion has always been a problem, especially in the United States.
Sarah Schindler’s article examines architectural exclusion and analyzes the social caste system caused indirectly by geographic barriers. It’s not uncommon for people in power to abuse their power to marginalize people without a voice. It can even be argued that man-made environments like streets, gates, highways, crossroads, and even sidewalks are constructed because it’s most convenient for the government. But what Schindler argues and addresses is the purposeful designs of where these built environments go is a means of excluding people, which is often overlooked. “This Article examines the sometimes subtle ways that the built environment has been used to keep certain segments of the population—typically poor people and people of color—separate from others.” (Schindler 1939) She starts off by explaining to readers the art and meaning of architectural exclusion; not everything is made for everyone. Built environments are regulatory and essential to a growing society, but as Schindler further explains, it embodies segregation and discrimination. For example gated communities are designed to keep poor people or people of different races out (Schindler 1955), just like bus stops and transportation routes. (Schindler 1953) Schindler’s theory about practices of exclusion and regulation has been accompanied by many sources and real world explanations to the phenomenon.

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