Right Urban Furniture, Happy Cities

When urban furniture is fully integrated into urban planning and design, it gains an identity and fosters a sense of belonging in its surroundings. Urban Furniture Designs should be developed and placed based on analyses of urban areas conducted with the right tools. To make these analyses correctly, several criteria need to be considered.

Function

The first criterion is function. The most important aspect of establishing function is accurately identifying the need. Instead of viewing urban furniture as merely filling a green space or serving a single purpose like a kiosk, it should be considered a concept that supports the identity and life of the city. This perspective allows us to see that urban furniture transcends its conventional boundaries.

Placement

The second criterion is the placement of urban furniture. Decisions on the placement of each element must be made through thorough studies.

Form

The third criterion is the form of urban furniture. Each piece of urban furniture should be treated as a part of the city it belongs to. There should be a consistent language among different types of urban furniture.

Durability

The fourth crucial criterion in the selection of urban furniture is durability. Environmental and climatic conditions of the location must be considered. Design, material, and detail solutions should be made with the potential for vandalism in mind.

Cost

Another important criterion in the selection of urban furniture is cost. One of the biggest mistakes is choosing a product because it is “cheap.” While opting for a cheaper product, it’s essential to consider that the total cost of a cheap product may end up being higher. However, this does not mean that the success of urban furniture design is directly proportional to high costs. The right urban furniture design can be achieved by developing the design according to the budget and the need.

Correct Urban Furniture Designs

The relationship between humans and their environment is essentially based on a sense of belonging. This natural and built environment, which includes the sofa, room, house, site, and neighborhood, forms the physical environment to which a person attaches meaning. Just as furniture in a home enhances comfort and makes one feel more at ease, offering this comfort at the urban scale can increase the sense of belonging to the city. Consequently, the concept of the urbanite will further develop, and people will enjoy spending time outdoors.

Urban furniture is an essential tool for making outdoor time more enjoyable. A bench can be a place to relax and reflect on a beautiful view or a spot to chat with friends. Playgrounds can contribute to children’s personal development, and a clock tower can become a visual element in our memories of the city.

Using urban furniture, we can keep people in open spaces longer, make these areas more enjoyable to spend time in, and encourage people to spend more time outside their homes. This increases social interaction and sharing, which in turn fosters economic activities like commerce. By utilizing smart urban furniture, we can add even more value to people’s lives.

Happy Cities

Urban furniture should be designed with the needs of the most accessibility-challenged groups in mind—such as the disabled, children, and the elderly—and should encourage socialization. As inherently social beings, people will be happier in a city that meets these needs. This leads to happier cities. Urbaniture starts each design process with this goal in mind and develops urban furniture designs to create happy cities.