When Architecture Is Bridled By Anxiety

“To appreciate how America has changed since 9/11, walk slowly through any major city. What you’ll see dotting the landscape is the physical embodiment of fear. Security installations put up after the attacks continue to block public access and wrangle pedestrian traffic. … It’s not just the barriers, it’s also the buildings. Since 9/11, risk consultants working for police departments, federal agencies and insurance companies have wrested control over many new construction plans. ‘There’s a sense that security experts are acting as the associate architects on every project built today,’ says Paul Goldberger, the architecture critic of the New Yorker.”