Street furniture refers to objects placed within the streetscape. The Seattle Right-of-Way Improvements Manual provides the following examples of street furnishings: “benches, litter and recycling receptacles, bike racks, multiple publication newsstands, water fountains, pedestrian scaled lighting and planters. Public art includes art installations that have a functional component and art that is purely aesthetic. Some types of street furnishings such as automated pay toilets, public kiosks and other atypical amenities are referred to as ‘Unique Objects’ because they require special location and design considerations.” For more information about street furniture in Seattle, click here.
Street furniture is part of what makes a space vibrant and inviting!
Check out Copenhagen’s Free Street Hammocks! Looks pretty comfy huh?
Or how about these Five Fantastic Ideas for Public Furniture in Cities? Of course Amsterdam is on the list with this cool bamboo bench:
But not everything you see in the streetscape qualifies as street furniture. For example:
 yes, this mosaic couch is street furniture! |
 nope, this is just a couch somebody left on the street. |
 yes, street furniture! |
 nope, not street furniture! |
 yes, street furniture! |
 nope, not street furniture! |
 yes, street furniture — cleverly pretending to be furniture left in the street! |