The purpose of this study is to examine how hostile architecture affects the public space's purpose and function. The study aims to create an understanding of how the design of public space has an impact on how the rooms are used and of people's access to them. The study has a qualitative approach and is based on observations of three public and semi-public spaces in Umeå. The locations that have been observed are located in the centre of Umeå and they form an important part of the public spaces available in the city centre. The results have been analyzed according to theories concerning the creation and re-creation of public spaces as well as how and why hostile architecture occurs in cities. This report displays that there are factors that will affect the access people have to the public space. This does not only refer to intentionally created hostile architecture that specifically aims to exclude people from a certain space. The study's result shows that a lack of furnishing or furniture linked to a specific purpose can make it difficult to remain in a certain space. The result also shows that there is a municipal vision of creating open public rooms to create comfort and safety. Conclusively this report shows that this type of design also can generate a feeling of being watched, which for example may cause people in need of a place to sleep not to seek out these locations.

Studiens syfte är att undersöka olika former av exkluderande design i offentliga och semi-offentliga rum, samt vilka konsekvenser en sådan design kan ha på olika samhällsgrupper. Studiens resultat är baserade på fokuserade observationer av den fysiska designen, främst i Göteborg, i triangulering med innehållsanalys av översikts- och detaljplaner. Studiens resultat visar att en mångfald av designmodeller användes i de observerade offentliga och semi-offentliga rummen, varav en del av dessa designer kan ses som exkluderande. Majoriteten av observerade sittplatser finns hos privata aktörer som caféer och uteserveringar, vilket signalerar ett behov av att vara konsument för att få ta del av dessa semi-offentliga platser. Semi-offentliga platser som var stängda nattetid samt hinder mot skateboardåkning var andra observerade designer som riktar in sig på särskilda samhällsgrupper eller beteenden. Fyra grupper anses vara speciellt påverkade av exkluderande design: hemlösa, funktionsnedsatta, resurssvaga, samt skateboardåkare. I kontrast till tidigare forskning anser vi att flera av de observerade designerna kan anses vara inkluderande istället för att enbart ses som exkluderande. / The aim of this study is to explore different forms of unpleasant design in public and semi-public spaces and what potential consequences such design may have on different social groups. The results are based on focused observations of the physical designs themselves, primarily in Gothenburg, Sweden, in triangulation with text analysis of official documentations of land use and zoning plans. The findings indicate that a variety of designs were used throughout the observed public and semi-public spaces, some of which can be seen as unpleasant. Most of the observed seating options were located within privatised businesses, signalling the need to be a consumer to use these semi-public spaces. Semi-public spaces that are inaccessible during the night as well as anti-skate obstacles were other observed designs that targeted a certain group or behaviour. Four social groups were found to be more of a target or sufferer of the designs: the homeless, people with disabilities, the destitute, and skateboarders. In contradiction to previous research a substantial amount of the observed designs can be perceived as inclusive rather than only exclusionary.