Amsterdam ditching center armrest on benches to be more accommodating to homeless

Amsterdam is following Utrecht and Leiden’s example and ditching the center armrest on park benches. These types of benches are increasingly considered hostile architecture and the Dutch capital wants to be more accommodating to its homeless residents, Parool reports.

Responsible alderman Melanie Van der Horst announced in a letter to the city council that Amsterdam will start removing the center armrest. The street furniture handbook will henceforth state that armrests are only placed at the ends of benches. “Because handrails are not placed with the aim of making lying or sleeping on the benches impossible,” she said.

Van der Horst stressed that the center armrest wasn’t deliberately hostile to homeless people, but intended to help seniors in the city who could use the extra support sitting down and standing up. A team of expert civil servants reexamined the resilience of the city’s elderly and determined that they’ll manage well without the center armrest, she said.

The measure follows years of protests by Vriendelijke Bankjes Bond, who anonymously dismantled the center armrests from benches in the city’s parks and squares. The group called for real support for the city’s homeless population and at least a place to sleep where they could stretch their legs. The Amsterdam D66 and GroenLinks factions also pushed for the measure.

“Amsterdam wants to be an inclusive city,” Elise Moeskops (D66) told Parool. “That means that public space must also be accessible to everyone. This applies to obstacles on sidewalks but also to center railings on benches.”

Carlo van Muster (GroenLinks) added: “The city belongs to everyone. It is unacceptable that we punish people who have to live on the street even more by making it difficult for them to find a good place to sleep. This applies to the benches with the center armrest, but also to those slanted benches at the tram stop. It represents a lack of humanity that simply does not suit Amsterdam.”

Urban researcher René Boer, who studies the rise of hostile architecture in cities, called it great news that Amsterdam is following Utrecht and Leiden’s example on this front. He called the center armrest a symbol of the over-controlled city. “In my opinion, this is unnecessary bullying and of groups that generally do not have an easy time of it. In the case of the center railing, it is the homeless who are not welcome,” he said.

“Amsterdam has become a well-maintained and slick city. Everything must radiate quality and prosperity. At the same time, tolerance for vulnerable groups has decreased enormously. They are considered undesirable elements in public spaces and can be filtered out.” That leads to center armrests preventing homeless people from lying down, Boer said.

He also mentioned measures to drive away loitering young people and dealers. “I live in the Red Light District myself. Life there in a small area is very intense and chaotic, but at the same time, this also reflects the complexity of the city. Public space is simply used by very different people and cannot be claimed exclusively by a dominant group that likes quality, tranquility, and order.”