FMP and homelessness

Within the mock FMP project we've started out with the whole chindogu thoughts, which you may well already know. I feel like at the very start of the project I constrained myself and didn't give myself enough room for manoeuvring. So with this in my head I decided to scrap my previous boring ideas and tried to expand my ideas into other ideas.
The first thought was (after a lengthy discussion with Jon) was social concerns. Thinking of problems in the world and how we can solve that. For example, Homelessness and solving that problem.
"Defensive architecture" is the most cynical attempt to sweep away poverty and inequality. The anti homeless spikes prevent anyone from sitting or sleeping in the vicinity all for the sake of a company's corporate identity. Defensive architecture is revealing on a number of levels because it was not an accident or a thoughtless act it is through a thought process that the idea is formed. It's that sort of unkindness that is considered, designed, approved and then funded! All done with the explicit idea and motive to exclude a certain population. Rather than helping, were hiding poverty. This sort of thought process reveals how corporate hygiene has overridden human consideration, mainly in retail districts, because it is all linked to someone's corporate identity.
Anyway, sorry for the rant... Back to the ideas. So, social concerns and how we can solve or help with them, sort of like an empowerment project. Obviously in an idealistic world there wouldn't be homelessness (being that there is enough homes built to home homeless people you would think that we would have sorted this by now) you would think that government would of set something in motion to help but no. Anyway, some people have already tried to make changes and do their part for the homeless.
One of my favourites are things like these benches. I think it's because a lot of people are so against helping homeless people openly and don't like for homeless people to be visible and this is the complete opposite. Rather than putting railings up so you can't lay down this is an open invitation to use the bench to sleep. Which in the long run, who is it harming? And why should I be so surprised and impressed by such a simple gesture?

 

 

The paraSITE plastic/inflatable shelters. One of the most sensible things I've seen yet. Yes, it might not be glamorous and I would hope that you could sleep inside at night but if you can't, why not use something that is going to waste anyway? Using excess heat from a building to keep a homeless man warm in his sleeping bag. Beyond simple. Beyond smart.