I previously thought all those raised thresholds on DS9 seemed like a safety hazard rather than anything useful or aesthetic. Why couldn’t they have been made flush with the floor?
However, maybe their purpose IS to trip people! Apparently, old castles used to be intentionally designed with uneven stairs, so invaders would be slowed down to give the defenders an advantage. I think the Cardassian that designed Terok Nor may have had a similar idea. It becomes automatic for residents to avoid the bumps, but invaders could easily be tripped up, especially while running.
I like to think those are probably like force field gateways, like fire doors to contain pressure loss in an emergency. If there’s an explsion, that might provide a barrier to slow air loss (or contain smoke or gases) so fleeing victims can escape to a more secure bulkhead.
