Susan Bickford Paper

This was a very interesting argument written by Susan Bickford. Susan argues that architecture (particularly contemporary architecture) is a tool used to create segregation, or physical separation of upper and middle class whites from various poor minority groups.

Susan argues that architecture is used to "purify" the public spaces from fear and uncertainty, and this happens because people in political positions belong to the majority of peoples and not the minority. These political leaders then are not exposed to the full spectrum of opinions and experiences that belong in their own community and then approve projects or push forward with gentrification of ghettos and tightly discriminating security systems that further this physical separation. Basically what she is saying is that contemporary design(post world war) has forced this separation because suburban sprawl and gated communities are growing more and more popular and affordable still today, we as members of the human family, are not mixing together and communicating as we could be in order for all of us to have a more diverse and open minded opinion, we have lost "the meaning of the public life". This separation and racist attitude , Susan argues is supported by institutional policies such as the the 1968 fair housing act for example.

The danger in this is shared by both sides according to Susan, "what we all risk losing in building up the worldly artifice in this way is the possibility of a democratic public realm, one that depends on the presence of a multiplicity of perceiving and perceived others."

Susan suggests a solution that begins with the re-structuring of political institutions in which important decisions are made about how to govern the way citizens experience each other. She also suggests that "the built environment can cultivate or eradicate that specific stranger like recognition that is central to the possibility of democratic politics in a diverse and unequal polity."

I agree with Susan to some extent on these issues, especially thinking critically about how we as future designers of the "public" can include or exclude by creating physical boundaries or gentrification of the so called "ghetto's". I think that gated communities are ridiculous, however, having children of my own I can see how families would want to separate their children from experiencing the "ghetto" or high crime area's, or moving to a more secluded suburb to keep their children out of trouble. Personally, I think their should be change on both sides for us to move out of such racists attitudes and indirect institutional endorsement of segregation.


Curtis Bingham