First, let’s define street furniture. Have you ever seen street furniture installed along the streets? Probably, yes and you wonder who owns them, and was it important to install them there anyway? Yes, street furniture refers to all those benches, litter boxes, street lamps just to name but a few that help make city or town people comfortable. This furniture serves to complete the beauty and safety of the city dwellers. Benches particularly are important in railway stations, bus stations, airports, and other high traffic areas to provide comfort to people waiting to board or those alighting. Other street furniture is utilitarian, for example, trash bins are meant to keep the environment clean and a space for people to deposit unwanted stuff conveniently within the city centre.
Unlike in the past, street and park furniture today has advanced to meet the needs of a modern city dweller. For example, old Victorian lights have been replaced with quality lights that not only direct traffic but also display weather conditions and other features.
What benefits do we get from street furniture?
People who benefit from street furniture often ignore and wonder why one would invest in them anyway. But the truth of the matter is; this furniture is functional and its functions are fundamental to those people in the city. So what are the reasons to install street furniture? There are several reasons why street furniture must be installed along the streets and in the parks. Some of these are:
Provides comfort: they provide extra comfort for people in the city or those visiting the parks and want to enjoy the surroundings while relaxing on a bench out in the wilderness. A bench on the side of the street is what we need to cool off and relieve pressure on our legs after long-distance trekking. The same thing applies to the benches on the walking paths of the park. They are crucial for comfortable resting after a long adventure mingling with the wild.
Street furniture is installed in various places to fulfil a function: shelters built at the bus stop filled with benches are there to serve a function; waiting for bay for travelers. The same applies to airports, railway stations and more.
For beauty and aesthetics: some furniture you find on the streets are designed with state-of-the-art technology to beautify the city or town. Aside from adding style, its basic use is to help people relax or rest on them after trekking for a while before reaching their destinations.
Furniture on the streets and public areas attract more people to spend time in the parks and other sceneries around the city.
Qualities of street and park furniture
Before investing in street furniture, some research must go into it to ensure robust and durable furniture are installed. To ensure furniture lasts for a long time without bowing to the beating it receives from weather elements, the material must be robust and durable. When lasting furniture is installed on the street, it becomes cost-effective for the council so that it concentrates on other aspects of beautifying the town. Additionally, street furniture must be stylish and evergreen to stand the test of time. The furniture should blend in naturally with the surroundings to attract more tourists and passersby.