Walking the 63rd street corridor, there were less places to sit than I anticipated. However, the uses and types of seating did vary greatly. When thinking about where to sit I automatically think of a black iron park bench, while many are found on the 63rd street corridor, that was not the only seating I came across. The main purpose of seating, I found along the corridor, was for bus transportation. Bus stops fill street corners and are classically accompanied by seating of some type. Few bus stops have awnings, for weather protection, while others consist of a bare bench with no shelter from the environment. Picture 1, in Figure 1, shows the typical bus stop seating, found on the corridor. Movable chairs and café style seating is my personal favorite type of seating because I have endless options of where to move my chair, but this type of seating is not commonly found along the corridor. More frequent café style seating was found in the west area of our study area, in Brookside, but not on the east side of Troost Avenue.
The seating options I came across on the east side of Troost Ave were more exposed and out of scale compared to the surrounding atmosphere. Pictures 6 and 7, on figure 1, were found on the east side of Troost Avenue and directly faced vehicular traffic. Sitting in both areas made me feel vulnerable to the automobile, however, both seating options gave me a spectacular view. Picture 6 offers a pleasing view of the Convent of Christ the King and picture 7 allows me a sight of a historical monument, in one direction, and a view down the lush Meyer Boulevard, in the other direction.
Overall, after looking at the location of seating, with assessment to sidewalks, structures, and paved roads, scale plays a key role to where it is desirable to sit. Figure 2 shows the studied seating at plan view. Diagrams 3, 4, and 9 made me feel safe, and almost cozy, because of the proximity of structures, a row of parking, and coverage of vegetation. While diagram 8 allows the sitter to be more visible, there are endless options of where and how one can sit, and the view are infinite.
Of all the places to sit in Kansas City, Figure 3 shows my ideal places to sit. The steps of the Nelson Atkins Museum and Jacob L. Loose Park offer all the variety and views I want from public seating. Places to sit is a major element of the public realm and needs to be at the top of the list when redeveloping an area. Creating useful and enjoyable seating seems like and easy task, just throw a bench on the sidewalk every couple of blocks, when in reality, the planning behind seating really makes a difference in whether or not it serves its deliberate purpose.
