Neighborhood sitting space

Image: Ohlone Greenway in Cedar Rose Park

"People tend to sit most where there are places to sit," wrote William H. Whyte in the The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces (1980).

Image: #19 AC Transit stop on 6th at Channing

Whyte was writing about seating options in public spaces, mostly privately owned plazas in New York City. The provision of seating areas in privately owned spaces like plazas, atria, and malls as well as seating in publicly owned spaces like parks is commonplace. What continues to pleasantly surprise me is the creation of seating, by neighborhood residents, for neighborhood residents.

Here are several instances:

Image: Eco-House, adjacent to sidewalk (a public-private example)

Image: Prince at Fulton (also features a community bulletin board; read Jen's recent post on Walking Berkeley)

Image: Zen center, Parker at Fulton

Image: Russell Street, near College Avenue

Image: Ward between Shattuck and Fulton

Image: Walnut, east of Shattuck (my favourite)

Image: A good place from which to watch the neighbors go by, Channing between 8th and 7th (the bench looks like a church pew; Grace Baptist Church is one block east)

If you would like to share a neighborhood sitting space, please write a comment or send an email to info @ localecology.org.