February 27, 2024
by David Plater Blue, Bricklyn Eagle Metro Desk Reporter
The Realm of Bricklyn’s Parks & Recreation Department has funneled much of the 2022 “active city” bond issue into upgrading the pedestrian environment.
The bond issue was intended to support projects that create a more welcoming outdoor environment throughout the city.
While the funds have most noticeably been used to expand Realm’s the bike/pedestrian pathway network — ensuring connections between ten key destinations within the Realm — they have also gone to projects such as increasing the number of public benches throughout the Realm.
As Department Director Rhonda Brickson told us, “our goal is to increase the amount of time Bricklynites of all ages spend outdoors.”
Director Brickson spoke to us about the Parks & Recreation Department’s bench installation program, noting that “one of the most successful aspects of our public bench effort has been the simplicity by which shopkeepers can receive up to two free benches for use in front of their store.”
As Brickson explained, “Department employees do the installation, ensuring the bench is properly secured and does not impede access to the store, and will come back for any needed repairs. The only requirement for shop owners is to keep the bench clean and available for use by anyone who wants to sit on it.”
The Parks Department puts the benches together, helping keep costs down. As of January 1, 2024, two dozen benches have been installed in front of of storefronts in all three cities of the Realm.
Why focus on the lowly bench?
As Brickson told us, “benches offer a number of benefits that contribute to the overall well-being of residents and the vibrancy of urban spaces.”
A flier prepared by the Parks & Recreation Department lists the following benefits public benches provide:
Social Interaction: Benches offer a place for people to gather, socialize, and interact. They can serve as meeting points for friends, family, or community members, fostering a sense of connection and community.
Rest and Relaxation: Public benches provide a place for individuals to take a break or simply enjoy the surroundings. This can be especially beneficial for pedestrians, cyclists, or those exploring the city on foot. The availability of benches also makes it easier to take breaks while shopping, increasing use of downtown and neighborhood businesses.
Inclusivity and Accessibility: Benches provide seating options for people of all ages and abilities. They make Bricklyn’s public spaces more inclusive by offering resting places for seniors, pregnant women, and individuals with mobility challenges.
“Old friends, old friends
Sat on their park bench like bookends
A newspaper blown through the grass
Falls on the round toes
Of the high shoes of the old friends”
— Old Friends, by Paul Simon
Stress Reduction: Having benches in urban environments provides opportunities for Bricklynites to take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life. Green spaces with benches, in particular, offer a peaceful retreat from the urban environment and contribute to stress reduction.
Observation and Enjoyment: Benches placed in strategic locations allow people to observe their surroundings, enjoy public art, or simply people-watch. This contributes to a sense of engagement with the cityscape.
Public Safety: Having visible and occupied public spaces, including those with benches, can contribute to increased public safety. Well-utilized areas are less likely to attract illicit activities, and the presence of people can act as a natural surveillance mechanism.
➤ Note: Some of our Outland readers might find this “public safety” argument puzzling, as several Outland cities have actually eliminated benches because of concerns they are frequented by homeless individuals or drug users. See, e.g., “Park benches have been removed to deter homeless population.” (ABC57.com, Aug 21, 2023).
In fact, Bricklynites find these bench removal actions not just odd, but sad. One of the priorities in the Realm of Bricklyn — and in other Inland realms — is to provide a social welfare system that has eliminated homelessness and virtually all drug-related crimes. More on how the Realm has dealt with these issues in future articles.
Advocating for Benches
The Placemaking Fund, an Outland organization, has advocated for the value of benches, especially those located at street corners:
“The impact of something as simple as a bench can be powerful and catalytic. Its presence can stimulate the livelihood of an entire corner, expand its influence to the whole intersection, and encapsulate a full block by triggering changes further down the sidewalk. In this way, one bench can change a whole community.”
From “A Bench on Every Corner … Is More Than Just A Bench,” by Fred Kent, Kathy Madden, and Tayana Panova (October 31, 2023).
See also The Placemaking Fund’s two major projects: Placemaking X and The Social Life Project.
➤ For more on the benefits of public benches, see “Public benches should be viewed for health and wellbeing benefits — not anti-social behaviour,” by Hannah Postles (November 9, 2015). See also an enjoyable short video by BBC News about “Chatty Benches” in Northern Ireland.
We welcome Letters to the Editor. Please email to: bricklynvt@gmail.com
To the Editor: Thanks for that article on benches. My name is Stacey, and I’m one of the Bricklyn High School students who volunteers with One Bricklyn. I know you mentioned our group in a recent Bricklyn Eagle news story, but I want to say that having the new benches around the city makes it much easier for us to go for a walk with our senior buddies, and then sit down for a few minutes on a bench to chat with them, sort of like in that Chatty Benches video you listed at the end of the article.
There are a lot of older people who enjoy getting out of their house — and as high school students, we really like helping them out. So great work in getting so many benches onto our sidewalks and in our parks. — Stacey, from Bricklyn.
To the Editor: You forgot to mention my favorite bench installed in Southside Park. I’m talking about the bench press bench. Love that the weights are ready to use, and the way the bench back will tilt back and lock in place right when you’re ready to start lifting. Very nice!
I try to use the bench press bench every day, but too many other folks like it too. Hope Parks & Rec installs a second one. It’s a great bench to have outdoors. I’m sending you a photo of me getting ready to work out that a buddy of mine took this morning — Stan, from South Bricklyn
