STREET FURNITURE

Masters in Urban Planning

By: Rohit Kumar (MUP/10003/22)

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Summery
• Urban furniture has contributed to the formation of elements such as communication, aesthetics and functionality in the
city, in addition to being the elements that facilitate the personal and social urban life of the individuals forming the
society.
• In a more specific definition, urban furniture are all elements used in landscaping arrangements that respond to basic
functions such as sitting, sheltering, transportation, lighting, consultation, communication, games and sports in areas such
as streets, roads and squares.
• The most important features of these elements, which are the building blocks of multi-purpose planning, are the
management and direction of pedestrians.
• Urban furniture emphasizes the rules of living together in order to sustain collective life.
• Within the scope of this study, historical developments of urban furniture such as sheltered waiting area (stop), lighting
element, kiosk, signboard, seating element and garbage can which are the building blocks of cities and contributing to the
society to live together in a regular and regulated way are examined.

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Introduction
• Urban furniture is the equipment that have been built in different cultures throughout the history in order to maintain the
order of society in urban life.
• The studies on this subject are generally located within the boundaries of a city or neighborhood and within the discipline
of landscape architecture.
• Our study does not cover a specific region or a city, and generally focuses on the urban furniture used in the cities starting
from the oldest examples that can be identified.
• When it comes to historical development, it is not possible to identify examples that provide chronological continuity since
urban furniture is exchangeable and portable.

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Introduction
• In the light of the studies carried out to date, the earliest specimens were identified as stone specimens as a
result of the excavations carried out in areas belonging to ancient civilizations such as Maya, Mohen Jo Daro
and Pompeii.
• It is possible to mention the elements that direct the movement of people in the society such as seating
elements, garbage pits and some signs made by scraping on stone slabs.
• When the urban furniture needed due to socio-economic development is considered in terms of form,
material and construction method, it is determined that plastic, as well as materials such as wood, metal,
glass, mosaic are used in the industrial revolution and afterwards.
• In this context, urban fiction and planning, when considered within the scope of urban development, point
to the diversity of urban furniture.
• Since the researches on the subject are generally related to today's urban furniture, it is thought that the
historical development of urban furniture from antiquity to the present day will add genuine value to the
literature.

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Related challenges & Opportunities

Related challenges

• Requires liability insurance if placed on Public Right of Way.

• Requires maintenance and routine cleaning.

Opportunities
• Add attractive and recognizable features to your district.
• Are useful as well as attractive: benches provide a place to sit, clocks and Kiosks area sources of information.

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Some existing example interesting feature (highlight)
• Elements placed in the Landscape or streetscape for comfort, convenience, information, circulation control, protection
and user enjoyment are collectively referred to as site furniture. Benches, bollards, signage, lighting, tree grates and utility
boxes are a few examples.

• Appropriateness is a major objective in

the design and placement of site furniture
elements.
• Furniture elements should reflect the
character of the built environment, be
internally integrated between themselves,
and not promote a cluttered appearance.
• There should be visual compatibility.

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Some existing example interesting feature (highlight)
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
• Furniture elements, such as permanent benches, should not be placed
near extensive areas of paving or wall surfaces which reflect or radiate
excessive amounts of heat, unless adequately buffered by shade etc.
• One should minimize glare from light fixtures and intense sunlight.
• Site furniture may be focussed toward pleasant sources.

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Some existing example interesting feature (highlight)

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 Some existing example interesting feature (highlight)
• Lighting must be functionally appropriate and properly scaled to both the pedestrian and the vehicular precincts of the site.
• For pedestrian area lighting, the light source should be relatively low to the ground in order to remain in scale with the human
body and to provide light beneath the canopy of street trees.
• Uniform area illumination is not always desirable.
• Vehicular light standards on road- ways must have much greater height than those for pedestrians and must illuminate the road
more uniformly.

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Some existing example interesting feature (highlight)
The height of light standards is the single factor that most directly determines
the quality of the light and the consequent ambience of the site.
Exterior lighting can be generally categorized as:
1. Decorative lighting
2. Vehicular use lighting
3. General site lighting
4. Pedestrian use lighting
5. Feature lighting

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Some existing example interesting feature (highlight)

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Some existing example interesting feature (case study -1)
• Shimla- the mall road
• The character of street furniture of a hilly tourist area is different from that of Prototype city area .
• The undulating terrain ,and the gorgeous view of the hill station , Shimla was annexed by the British in 1819
and hence it purely reflects
• British style in the buildings streetscapes etc .Railings,lamp posts ,and fencings are intricately ornate.

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 Some existing example interesting feature (highlight)
• BENCHES
• Beautiful benches provided at small intervals on the road in order to hold the large number of tourists.

Emphasis has been laid on the provision of maximum sitting area keeping in mind the flood of tourists,and also the slopes on the mall
road due to which people get tired and need to sit while strolling down the street.
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Some existing example interesting feature (highlight)
• Ornamentation of the street sides

Ornamentation of the street sides

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Some existing example interesting feature (case study -2)
• Xaverhill town-2004 audit which identified poor street furniture as an aspect of the town centre that
detracted from its overall appearance and image.
• CLUTTER
• “Unnecessary signage, bollards, railings, yellow lines and even traffic lights clutter the streets and ruin the
visual impact of our surroundings.
• CO-ORDINATION
• Lack of co-ordination between items of street furniture can add to a sense of clutter. The same quantity of
street furniture can be accommodated without appearing cluttered if it is coordinated. Co-ordination implies
overall coherence. Items of street furniture in close proximity to each other should appear to be ‘of family’ in
design terms but care must also be take in the siting and arrangement of each element.

In 2004 English Heritage

invited the public to
an awkwardly
undertake their own audit
placed seat is not
of street clutter as a first
an attractive
step to campaigning for
place to rest.
the removal of unwanted
items of street furniture.

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Some existing example interesting feature (highlight)
• If street furniture is to enhance the appearance of the town centre then it is likely that high quality materials
will be required.
• The quality of the fabric of the town centre is a highly visible expression of how a community values the
public realm, and in turn, itself as a community.
• Poor quality materials can detract from the amenity of an area and therefore can be somewhat pointless.

Various types of flower beds bespoke seating in A prototype bespoke bollard has been
used as street ornaments Bury St Edmunds designed and fabricated and installed
outside Haverhill Arts Centre

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