Summary of Architectural Exclusion

In Sarah Schindler’s article “Architectural Exclusion: Discrimination and Segregation through Physical Design of the Built Environment,” she uncovers what architectural Exclusion is to her readers and explains exactly how It keeps people segregated. In her brilliant Explanation, she entices the readers with a theory, explains how it’s practiced, and then shows how it’s a way to regulate the lower class.

Sarah Schindler begins by explaining that architectural exclusion is the practice of building an environment that makes it hard for a specific type of people to gain access to segregate the community in the long run. (1934) Exposing the “Master Builder” Robert Moses; she explains that he was who helped build much of new York’s infrastructure and how he directed lots of intentional designs that kept unwanted people from accessing areas that mostly whites resided in. (1937) Furthermore, the article explains how Many wealthy people are against public transportation coming into their suburban communities because it will encourage and assist colored people in gaining access to these areas. (1937)

Many areas that are occupied by wealthier individuals are segregated in many ways. In her Article, she gives many examples of how our environment is built to exclude the unwanted persons. Part II is where many examples of Architectural exclusion and decisions that segregate people are found. (1941) For example, the park benches that have arm rest are so the homeless can’t sleep on them. Or the very busy highways that separate certain neighborhoods so that it’s dangerous for people to cross and gain access. (1955) there are many examples of sidewalks being used only in certain places to show that homeless people will use these sidewalks in these areas opposed to wealthier areas where there are less sidewalks for them to occupy. Many examples throughout the article secure her argument and makes the reader start recognizing the tactics used in their own environment.  Robert Moses is used as a main example because of his efforts to regulate with architecture, a concept that the courts and judges refuse to agree exist. (1954)

Regulating people of lower incomes or people of different decent has been going on as long as humans been around. We have all came to the realization it is wrong; however, that’s exactly what going on today with these built environments. In the article, she compares how the Jewish people were made to live in walled ghettos to how developers put up walls to separate a black and white neighborhoods. (1955) keeping the lower income families on one side of the city keeps them from getting suburban jobs and keeps them in poverty. She continues to say how even if they were to get good suburban jobs the way the transit is set up, they will never be able to get to work like people that live in that area and have their own transportation. (1964) The Built environment is really set up to make the lower income families either fail or stay in their current positions.

Architectural exclusion is something that a lot of people are not aware of and something that a lot of authorities are not willing to accept. Throughout the article, it explains how it’s not being recognized as it should and how it’s a very real concept that is controlling the environment and the people in it.  The big idea of the article lets the readers understand that through highways, roads, walls, sidewalks, public transportation, bridges and many other man-made architecture, we are being controlled and regulated through built environments.