The Bench Community

New York City is an intricate blend of modified dreams, financial risk, star studded stages, and tourist frenzy. But below that, NYC is driven by a subtle community of 8 million people connected by the shared experience of being human. 

Despite NYC’s population density, vertical size, and lateral limitations, it has one of the lowest crime rates and an allure that’s difficult to ignore. In many ways, it is NYC’s large bench population that contributes to a perception of safety and atypical community. Urbanist studies of bench behavior confirm my frequent praises of the public commodity, and NYC offers itself as proof.

The city’s size and chaos can make it feel isolating at times. However, the large presence of benches actually combats this isolation. As social creatures, human interaction is a necessity, but as New Yorkers, overt friendliness can seem foreign. Scattered benches allow people to exist in the same space without existing together. Benches allow strangers to experience a sense of community without the burden of engaging in intentional interaction.

Moreover, benches encourage people to exist in public spaces. They bring in traffic and attention, thus stimulating a public space and creating a sense of movement and energy. Whereas a stagnant space can be intimidating, commotion is inviting and allows individuals to seamlessly slip into public spaces. 

In terms of safety, the presence of benches increases public perceptions of safety. By inviting a variety of people to gather and move about public spaces, individuals feel more comfortable. A large presence of people creates a form of informal surveillance in which people can monitor other people for safety, but the pressure of other people also encourages self-policing.

New York City is a loosely connected constellation of benches that create an unexpected sense of community. The stereotypical New Yorker has a reputation for being mean, but people engaged in the New York community know that the adjectives focused, intentional, or mildly abrasive are more apt. If you can’t picture what I am describing, find a bench in the city and sit and observe. Allow yourself to find this thriving pulse of human connection created in the public spaces of New York.