User preferences of urban park seating pattern in Hong Kong

Abstract

Urban park design is always an interesting area in public design since urban parks play an important role in relaxation and recreation in Hong Kong. The design of seating can be a great support for users’ static activities in urban parks. Right now, most of the seating in urban parks are benches which allow a limited number of people to only sit in a line. The user preferences of seating patterns in urban parks were investigated in this study. An interview was conducted in Kowloon Park in Hong Kong and 29 park users were interviewed. Participants were asked to arrange their most preferable seating pattern with a group of 2 to 5 friends in a public park. Results showed that there were various styles of seating patterns: line, partial circle, circle and others. Selection of preferred seating pattern was related to number of group members. For the group with 2 friends, participants chose line style most often. The percentages of line style and partial style decreased when the number of friends increased from 2 to 5 in the group. They chose circle style most for the setting of 3 or more friends. Participants explained that circle style can help them to interact better, use more eye contact and create a shorter distance. This study suggested that circle style, or flexible seating pattern or arrangement might be a better option than fixed line style in the design of urban park seating furniture.