Portside

London activists have found a creative way to subvert the proliferation of metal studs and other devices purposely designed to discourage homeless and other people from occupying public spaces. The collective, called Space, Not Spikes, is transforming them into cozy bedrooms, complete with tiny libraries. Anti-homeless spikes and an anti-loitering device that only teenagers can hear are part of a movement some have defined as “defensive architecture.”

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Starting around 1999, public policies that spurred development in Los Angeles' Skid Row started. Buildings that were dubbed underused were transformed in the 50-block area. Well-heeled residents have moved in. In 2014, Skid Row's streets have a vibrancy of sorts - one in which families, the homeless, the hip, the elderly and even well-treated dogs coexist in an ever-changing place.

Cities in Silicon Valley, Elsewhere Crack Down on Vehicle Dwellers Driven Out of Apartments by Rents