SEATING 

Public benches and seats are often seen as minor design objects in urban planning. Yet they are essential to support social interactions in public spaces, and providing a place to rest for pedestrians, cyclists, children, or for anyone who wants to be outside and get some sunshine and fresh air. 

Until recently, planning public seating and benches, and understanding the preferences of citizens in using them was considered trivial. To this end, the project aims to develop a final training concept for other interested urban planners by analysing the decision-making processes in designing and implementing public seating in Munich, Germany, Vienna in Austria, and Lausanne, Switzerland. An online survey gathering information on decision-making processes in other cities and a final workshop will contribute to the training concept.