Creating Social Spaces Using Street Furniture
By: Nigel Brookes
Tags: Social Spaces, Langley Design, Design, Street Furniture, Social

Image credit — https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/tcl-creating-social-spaces-at-monash-university/

Many of us don’t really give much thought to how the furniture we encounter in public places influences how we interact with each other. According to researchers Yilmaz and Mumcu, such outdoor furniture, also called “street furniture,” and the environment the furniture is placed within has a bearing, for good or bad, upon how much social interaction goes on within the area. The researchers stated cities need their urban areas to create a space where all different types of people can meet and feel free to interact.

With this in mind, it is easy to see how all too many urban spaces are actually poorly designed to meet that purpose. Yilmaz and Mumcu explained that outdoor furniture that encourages sitting and leaning helps people feel free to stop and rest and interact with others. The researchers also spoke of how certain things drew people together, such as places to buy food, look at art and see beautiful vistas. The researchers also stated that graffiti and trash tended to destroy the ambience and desire to stay and interact with others.

One of the key elements of such a social square within an urban centre is adequate seating. A study from Norway found that simply replacing outdoor furniture, such as benches, with new ones and adding more outdoor furniture helped to double the amount of people who took the time to sit and rest and socialise with one another within the targeted space.

Yilmaz and Mumcu also found that an important element people desire in effective social spaces is placement of seating that allows for both those who prefer to be alone and those who prefer to be in groups. Thus, the researchers encouraged both the placement of long benches that allow for more privacy and lack of eye contact as well as benches and seats at angles to each other around tables that encourage socialising and grouping. They also advocated for seating with back and arm rests because they are more comfortable for those who are older and encourage them to be outdoors. Other key elements are the ability to sit in the sun in the colder seasons and the ability to get some sun break from awnings, gazebos and sun shades in the summer. Yilmaz and Mumcu also explained that the ability of the public to be able to sit where they can view the entire social area and not have an unpleasant surprise come up behind them is key in creating a safe space for users.

Langley Design, a maker of street furniture supplies UK, is a good example of a company who understands this dynamic of creating sociable spaces. They create outdoor furniture for over 150 urban social space projects yearly. Although they specialise in serving the education sector, having designed open spaces and supplied outdoor furniture for over 300 schools, they also serve the commercial, retail, healthcare and public sectors in their exterior furniture needs. Langley’s pricing is fair and takes into account the current economic realities within the construction industry. Many of their designs of outdoor furniture include beautiful wood accents. Their picnic tables, seats and benches are physically striking and encourage sitting, relaxing and socialising. They also make cycle shelters, canopies, sun shades and litter bins that coordinate with one another in such an appealing manner as to discourage graffiti artists.

Langley Design, street furniture supplies UK, can make a restful area for students with benches and sun shades around an attractive set of planters, picnic tables with beautiful wood accents and attractive cycle storage areas. Langley also creates attractive playhouses and sand play areas. The quality of the furniture in the space and its expert placement can influence the quality of the interactions that take place in the setting.