Benches

I’m a big fan of “place-making”.

To me, place-making is the art of making a place desirable for humans to visit, move around & dwell.

The more people that visit it & spend time in it then the better the measure of the place.

Through this lens, benches are a panacea for all of these goals.

I love benches–this one is at Millbrae BART. While it is made from extremely hard materials, it’s artwork is a nice touch:

Benches also encourage lounging + socializing. This one is at a glasses store in Venice Beach:

Sometimes they do not provide practical seating, but are a nice floushish never-the-less. This one is in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France:

Even when they could use some pillows, they are a big improvement on their absence. This is at a Starbucks cafe:

Low capacity ones (single-seaters) are intended to prevent sleeping. This one is on a sidewalk in San Francisco:

Others are handbuilt and placed with little profit motive. These are in San Francisco as well:

Orienting them away from cars is a good idea. This one is in San Francisco, too–in the Richmond neighborhood facing an icecream shop:

It is important that benches are utilized, and by those who need a rest from standing. This one is in Mill Valley, California:

Train stations are critical for waiting. Dwelling is the name of the game, when expecting a train at San Jose Diridon station:

Sports arenas are entirely about waiting–even if there is reason to stand up and go to the bathroom. This is an outdoor baseball field in San Mateo, California:

Some cities design their own distinct benches. Sydney, Australia:

London, United Kingdom:

London also knows a thing or two about the absence of benches:

Madrid, Spain, has their own specially designed benches:

Europe has incredible plazas, where seating is a critical design component–also Madrid:

Who knows when this bench was originally built (and rebuilt)–in Toledo, Spain:

Airport shuttle/bus waiting station–San Francisco Airport:

Mexico City:

The view from the bench is critical–especially if folks are bored:

And last but not least, New England: