If Accoutrements Ruled the City
‘Furniture’ and Appendages are the Real Street Life
When unaffordability, too many cars, “meh” architecture, and other typical urban ills become too much to fathom, there are little things to carry the day.
Consider the small infrastructural wonders in cities everywhere, what they look like, and the roles they play.
Hydrants, benches, bollards, bins, light standards, utility boxes, and standpipes may resemble cartoon characters or R2D2 knockoffs, but they are omnipresent, well within our daily views. What if they were a higher priority in city builders’ minds? Could more awareness enhance the forlorn?
There’s nothing new in pointing out the small stuff—placemaking leaders like “Place Man” Fred Kent would already claim a generation’s work on simple fixes to make public space more humane—but an applied focus on the little things that matter remains a viable alternative to discussing doom loops and declining downtowns.
I have enjoyed photographing specific small urban features for years in America and abroad (I adore pylons, mailboxes, donation bins, and retractable bollards). UK architecture critic Edwin Heathcote’s 2022 book, On the Street: In-Between Architecture, also champions this cause. Heathcoate focuses on “street furniture” as inanimate objects and critical agents of city life.
Heathcoate borrows what was once Kent’s signature placemaking approach—turning things upside down, then right side up—and explains the aspects of life that street furniture enables.
How the Unseen Defines Urban Experience
In his book and a summary of a Financial Times essay, Heathcote uses historical and contemporary photography to explain indispensable components of the urban landscape. As reviewers note, he blends his thoughts and subtle messages with photographers’ portrayals of artifacts of street life and structure.
The real question becomes what would change if we turned musing into governance.
Might these day-to-day accoutrements become planning priorities rather than service-oriented afterthoughts?
The Expanded Role of the Little Things
Heathcote’s detailed observations and reflections (and my wandering) aim to show how incidental placement of objects can impact livability and enrich the daily experience.
Inadvertent notice of such objects is a start, but what is surprisingly important are reflections of community values and functional needs.
Today’s landscape architects are well-versed, creative voices in design. They consider the roles of heritage and delight in how we interact with our urban spaces—Richard Haag’s Gas Works Park in Seattle is a flagship example, and, as Nate Cormier has summarized, RIOS’ recent downtown park work in Palm Springs champions the hyperlocal.
Bringing more subtle elements to the limelight could expand the urban experience.
Diversity: Designs should improve upon inadvertence to embrace diverse populations—including those with disabilities and limited mobility—and ensure accessible and comfortable public spaces.
The Visual: Transformed spaces should create a visual narrative, ideally from crowd-sourced memories, while continuing to serve functional purposes,
The Stories: “Street furniture” appendages should reflect community identity and values, de facto institutionalizing Heathcote’s scenes.
Places to Pause and Interact: Benches, lights, and other elements should frame resting places, social connections, and community engagement.
Economic Benefits: Street furniture (such as benches and bike racks) should encourage foot flow and time spent on site, increasing business exposure and commercial activities. Donation stations should be available for less fortunate populations and sustainable reuse practices.
Sustainability: Using eco-friendly materials and sustainable practices should complement related placemaking efforts, green initiatives, and long-term environmental planning.
Technological Integration: Street furniture and other incidental structures should incorporate wireless connectivity and surveillance for safety while respecting privacy and comfort.
Safety and Security: Integration with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) programs should feature strategic placement of light and visibility; robust design should improve safety and security in urban areas.
If we start by recognizing how small property features enable and shape our interactions with the city, we can see their potential to become planning priorities rather than mere afterthoughts.
Integration of these small elements into user-centered urban environments could, at a minimum, spur more enjoyable spaces. Heathcote says it well:
Benches, bins and Belisha beacons are as much characters in the city as we are. Street furniture, that smallest and most public of architectures, continues to evolve, to shift in purpose and emphasis, defining and reframing our streets while we continue to walk on by, barely noticing
Each little thing may seem insignificant, but taken together, they can significantly impact the urban experience.