An experimental outdoor furniture project aims to better understand how women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals use public spaces.
UNSW Sydney industrial designers, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) urban technology planners and Transport for NSW have launched a new smart seating project to help enhance the usability and inclusivity of public space. The innovative outdoor benches feature motion-activated LED lighting and are monitored by AI technology to learn more about how people interact with their urban environments.
The Benchmark NSW project, which was funded by Transport for NSW under the Safer Cities program, aims to better understand how people, particularly women, girls and gender-diverse people, use and experience public spaces to inform future urban design and planning decisions.
The benches were officially unveiled last fortnight and will be installed at the UNSW Village Green for the next month. Members of the public can interact with the seating and participate in a survey to provide valuable insights into public space usage for the broader Safer Cities program.
Gonzalo Portas, Chief Investigator and Associate Lecturer in Industrial Design at the School of Built Environment, UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture, says the project demonstrates the power of disciplines helping to create safer and more welcoming public environments.
"Through this project, we hope to create a model for smart, safe, and inclusive public spaces that can be replicated across various urban environments," says Mr Portas. "By involving diverse voices in the design process and leveraging cutting-edge technology, we aim to address the unique needs and preferences of underrepresented groups in public spaces."
