Netherlands-based urban problem solvers, Social Sofa (Website), are a group that is working to make residential neighborhoods more civil and friendly simply by placing benches in them.
Social Sofa believes that people feel safer in their neighborhoods when they are less lonely and have connections to those around them. They are fighting a war on social isolation by putting a bench on every street of every City; transforming public space and sidewalks into outdoor living rooms where community members can gather and interact.
They ship a bench form, designed in concert with the host neighborhood, along with mosaic tiles and tools, to the hopeful benchers. They decorate the piece, install it in an inviting space that’s publicly accessible, and then invite strangers to sit on it and become non-strangers. Science.
Click HERE to find out more.
Editor’s Note: Let us know if you decide to bring a Social Sofa to the City Beautiful. We’d love to help.
