New research suggests that sitting on park benches is great for your health

Research suggests that hanging out on park benches is great for health

Sitting on park benches is good for your health and should not be regarded as anti-social according to researchers.

Hanging about in open spaces allows people to meet others and feel connected with their community, and helps to combat isolation and loneliness.

The research by the University of Sheffield and the Young Foundation criticises "hostile architecture" that uses deliberately uncomfortable seating to stop groups from gathering.

They claim the current trend of removing benches from cities because they are seen as encouraging anti social behaviour, "damages community life" and hanging out should be regarded as "essential for mental health and social wellbeing."

The benches are also good for physical health, they say, as they provide resting places for people with limited mobility.

Benches are egalitarian, and the current trend of removing them in cities damages community life

Radhika Bynon, The Young Foundation



Removal of park benches is a growing trend in towns and cities because they are seen as anti-social



However the researchers in the University's Department of Landscape and the London-based think tank, conclude that the traditional park bench with wooden slats may be comfortable, but are not the best for those who enjoy gathering in larger groups.

The findings are by the Bench Project. a collaboration between the University's Department of Landscape and The Young Foundation with Sheffield Hallam University, The University of Sussex and the Greenwich Inclusion Project, which investigated the use of public spaces in two different London neighbourhoods, Woolwich and Sutton.

Groups using open spaces in Woolwich include elderly Nepalese women and men who have settled in the area largely due to the historic connection with the military barracks.

Some of the women spoken to said they felt closer to friends they met on the open than their own family, and that prior to their "sisterhood" loneliness was a constant lingering feeling."

Researchers suggested that the people using the same space were tolerant of "big groups, banter and the occasional can of beer."



Benches can provide a place of belonging

They said: "In diverse communities this acceptance of a wide range of behaviours is crucial, and being able to use benches and enjoy high quality public space can contribute positively to a sense of local belonging."

Clare Rishbeth, from the University of Sheffield's Department of Landscape and the project's Principal Investigator, said: "One of the most common reasons for removing park benches is because they are seen as encouraging anti social behaviour.

"It is heartening to find how sitting outside can improve quality of life for many people, and underlines the importance of socially aware design of both benches and public space."

 

Benches also provide resting places for people with limited mobility

Radhika Bynon, from The Young Foundation, added: "Benches are egalitarian, and the current trend of removing them in cities damages community life.

"Our research found that benches help people to feel a sense of belonging to an area, and helps to combat loneliness and isolation."