Yes, there are absolutely park benches designed to deter homeless sleeping, and the center armrest is one of the most common examples. If you have ever seen a bench with a metal divider in the middle, that armrest is often not there to make you more comfortable. It is there to break up the flat surface so that nobody can lie down across the full length of the bench.
This type of design falls under what many people call hostile architecture, also known as defensive design or exclusionary design. A standard flat bench can double as a place to sleep, so adding a center armrest turns one long surface into two smaller sitting areas. You can still sit, but you cannot stretch out. Other variations include individual bucket-style seats, sloped metal benches, multiple armrests placed along a long bench, and leaning bars instead of full seats at transit stops.
Cities, parks departments, and private property owners often argue that these benches are meant to keep public spaces orderly, discourage loitering, and make seating available to more people during the day. But critics point out that the real purpose is usually to push homeless people out of sight rather than address the root causes of homelessness. That is why anti-homeless benches have become such a controversial symbol. Instead of providing shelter, housing, or support, the design simply removes one of the few resting places available to people who have nowhere else to go.
The center armrest is not the only clue. If you see a long bench divided into narrow compartments, a seat with a curved or sloped surface, or a bench that is unusually short from front to back, these are often intentional sleeping deterrents. Spikes on ledges, boulders under bridges, and sloped window sills are part of the same broader trend.
It is worth noting that not every armrest is hostile. A single armrest at the end of a bench can help elderly people or people with disabilities push themselves up. That is an accessibility feature. The difference is usually in the placement and number of armrests. A row of dividers breaking a long bench into small sections is much more likely to be a sleeping deterrent than a simple side armrest.
Public opinion is split. Some people support these designs because they want clean, orderly parks and feel uncomfortable when people sleep in public spaces. Others argue that anti-homeless benches are cruel because they punish the symptoms of homelessness while offering no real solution. In some cities, activists have protested against hostile architecture, and a few local governments have removed center armrests or redesigned public seating to be more inclusive.
So the answer to your question is clear: yes, park benches with center armrests are frequently designed to prevent homeless sleeping. They are one of the most visible examples of how public space can quietly be shaped to control who can use it, and for what purpose. Once you learn to notice hostile architecture, you will likely start seeing it everywhere.