The Young Foundation is a group which, in their words, “is working to create a more equal and just society, where each individual can be fulfilled in their own terms. We work with the public and private sectors and civil society to empower people to lead happier and more meaningful lives.”. The group was founded originally when the Institute for Community Studies (set up by entrepreneur Michael Young in 1954) was merged with the Mutual Aid Centre in 2005. It is the creator of over 60 organisations, most with their roots in academic research, social innovation and education, including The Open University.
The Bench Project looks, as its name suggests, at the benches in 3 areas in London focussing on the people who use them and what the benches mean to them. The tagline for the report is Benches for everyone. Solitude in public, sociability for free. The point of the project is to prove that benches are an important part of society and they should not be removed from public areas or replaced with deliberately uncomfortable seating which discourages people from sitting for long periods of time.
At the beginning of the article is a ‘Manifesto for the Good Bench’ with 6 points which lists some of the benefits of benches before going into further detail about each as the report continues.
The first point is a simple one. A bench is valued because it is public, egalitarian and free. Anyone can use it, it doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, there is no dress code, you can stop for a moment or for hours, sit in solitude or in company. The bench doesn’t care what walk of life you come from or for how long you sit, it is there for you.
The next point made is that bench space allows people to loosely belong within the flow of city life. This is particularly important for people such as migrants, carers or the elderly, who may otherwise feel isolated, as they can sit and watch people pass by and feel a part of their community. This is especially true of benches placed in busy areas such as parks which people can walk through. An example given regularly throughout the report is a large group of Nepali women who do not speak English. They meet daily on the benches in General Gordon Square. This gathering not only provides them with a meeting place large enough to accommodate them in large numbers but it enables them to people watch and get to know the other people in their locality despite not sharing the same language.
Next the report points out that benches help to support healthy routines for people as they allow them to spend longer outside. This is most true, I feel, for the elderly and the disabled who, without somewhere to sit and rest or sit and watch, may not be able to venture out far from their homes. Spending time outside is not only good for physical health but mental health also and time spent on a bench watching the world go by can help alleviate loneliness and (bringing us back to the previous point) give a sense of belonging.
Point 4 tells us that benches are an important social resource as they are a flexible place to spend time at no cost to the user. Often they are used in the daytime by people and groups who may find it difficult to gather elsewhere. A home may be too crowded and a cafe too expensive, as well as having restrictions on how long people may sit. A bench, on the other hand, is free and you are welcome to sit for as long as you wish. The report mentions that a high number of those who spend long periods of time in 2 of the open spaces they were studying were those who were out of work. They take along a beer and socialise with friends on the benches rather than in the pubs which may be expensive or, as mentioned in the report, closed down.
The next section mentions the design of benches stating that both the comfort and accessibility of them are basic requirements. The benches in General Gordon Square are formed from granite and are often criticised for causing “cold bums’ in extended sitters, some of the Nepali ladies will use food packaging or newspapers to help reduce the chill. In some locations benches are made to be less comfortable to discourage people from spending long stretches of time on them, mainly young people and drinkers whose behaviour could be viewed as antisocial.
Accessibility is important too for a good bench, if they are situated near, or on the way to, shops they will get a lot of traffic and the same is true if placed in a park or open space, particularly if there are other facilities such as play equipment and toilets nearby. Carers are a group who will often use benches in a park area, it can be somewhere to connect with others or just clear the mind whilst their charges play on the equipment or run in the open space, an arrangement that works well for both parties.
The last point made in the report is that people need to feel safe whilst relaxing and highly visible and frequently used spaces can do this. Although all 3 of the sites used to provide evidence for the report were identified as places for drinking alcohol or low level drug dealing, the participants of the study rarely mentioned any feeling of fear or annoyance at others. It is clear that although these kinds of behaviour are seen as antisocial, they do not make others using the open spaces feel threatened. The fact that these benches are situated in areas used by a large amount of people has much to do with this, that and the presence of park wardens and CCTV cameras! But it is the movement of people which really makes these places feel safe, there will always be someone passing by or sitting and watching others from their seat on the bench.
In conclusion, benches are seen as a necessity for the health of the city, they provide space for people of all ages and from all social situations to relax, to be outside and to connect with other human beings even if it is just to share a smile or a quick “hello” as they pass.
References:
Rebecca's OCA Learning Log 
Pingback: The Client Briefing | Rebecca's OCA Learning Log