Cost: $5,000+ (includes the cost of one bench, accessible concrete pad and installation fee)
Maintenance: Little to no maintenance required
Lifespan: 15+ years
Public seating
On this page:
- What is public seating
- Step-by-step checklist
- What can I do in my neighbourhood?
- How do I get started?
- Frequently asked questions
Resident-led public seating projects, including benches, picnic tables or naturalized seating options, can help create rest areas and spaces in neighbourhoods for residents to gather.
This guide offers residents ways to enhance public spaces and encourage interaction with neighbours. Explore each of the sections and steps below to learn how to lead a public seating project in your neighbourhood.
What is public seating?
Public seating consists of seating options designed for use in neighbourhood gathering places and other public spaces.
It may include park benches, cluster seating such as picnic tables, and naturalized seating such as armourstones.
Access to public seating in our neighbourhoods has many benefits, including:
- Enhanced public spaces and more pleasant, user-friendly outdoor environments
- Greater functionality of existing neighbourhood spaces
- More places for residents to interact and socialize
- Contributes to a more age-friendly city
Resident-led public seating projects are led by groups of neighbours and may include selecting seating options from a list of the City’s standard, pre-approved options or by residents creating their own custom-built seating.
Resident-led public seating projects are intended to encourage interaction with neighbours and vibrancy in our neighbourhoods.
Some questions to consider before you begin planning a resident-led public seating project include:
- What is the purpose of your project? For example, is your project intended to be a rest area along a trail, or a place for neighbours to gather in a park?
- Where would you like the project to be located?
- How much maintenance can your group commit to?
- How creative do you want to get?
When planning a public seating project or determining the location of your project, it’s important to think about accessibility standards. A few questions to consider include:
- Can a person with a mobility aid get to the seating area?
- Is the path of travel free from any obstructions?
- Is the path of travel flat and firm leading to the proposed seating area?
Step-by-step checklist
This quick checklist outlines a few steps your group may need to take while planning a public seating project:
- Talk to your neighbours
- Generate project ideas.
- Connect with City staff.
- Gather community support.
- Develop a design or project plan.
- Apply for funding through a LoveMyHood grant.
- Finalize your design or project plan.
- Get things ready by confirming community support, gathering all necessary supplies and recruiting volunteers.
- Plan your project installation or event.
- Install or celebrate your project.
Whether you’re selecting a standard bench or leading a “Build-Your-Own public seating project, we know that every resident-led project is unique! That’s why we recommend that you connect with the Neighbourhood Development Office for more resources and information to help support your neighbourhood project.
Standard City-approved seating options
We've taken the guesswork out of public seating by developing a list of standard seating options. With these standard, pre-approved seating options, the City will take on the installation and maintenance of each seating option. These standard seating options have been selected for the following reasons
- The sustainability and longevity of material sources.
- Minimal maintenance required.
- Use of locally-sourced materials.
On the next few pages, we’ve provided information on nine of the City’s standard seating options, including details about:
- Cost of Item: The cost of an item refers to all costs associated with the item, including the product itself, an accessible concrete pad and installation.
- Maintenance Level of Item: The maintenance level of an item refers to how much maintenance residents are responsible for.
- Lifespan of Item: The lifespan of an item refers to how long an item may last when properly maintained.
Cost: $5,000+ (includes the cost of one bench, accessible concrete pad and installation fee)
Maintenance: Little to no maintenance required
Lifespan: 15+ years
Cost: $5,000+ (includes the cost of one bench, accessible concrete pad and installation fee)
Maintenance: Little to no maintenance required
Lifespan: 15+ years
Cost: $3,000 - $5,000 (includes the cost of one bench, accessible concrete pad and installation fee)
Maintenance: Little to no maintenance required
Lifespan: 15+ years
Cost: $3,000 - $5,000 (includes the cost of one bench, accessible concrete pad and installation fee)
Maintenance: Little to no maintenance required
Lifespan: 15+ years
Cost: $3,000 - $5,000 (includes the cost of one bench, accessible concrete pad and installation fee)
Maintenance: Little to no maintenance required
Lifespan: 15+ years
Cost: $3,000 - $5,000 (includes the cost of one bench, accessible concrete pad and installation fee)
Maintenance: Little to no maintenance required
Lifespan: 15+ years
Cost: $3,000 - $5,000 (includes the cost of one bench, accessible concrete pad and installation fee)
Maintenance: Little to no maintenance required
Lifespan: 15+ Years
Armour Stone Naturalized Seating
Cost: $400 - $450 per linear meter for a seat wall (includes professional installation fee)
Maintenance: Little to no maintenance required
Lifespan: 15+ years
In some cases, it is more cost-efficient to purchase and install these standard seating options in larger quantities.
Accessible seating are required at a minimum rate of 10% in all public parks, and accessible eating areas are required at a minimum rate of 20% in all public parks.
All accessible elements must be located directly beside an accessible pathway and the proposed surface must be flush with existing pathway in order to be considered accessible.
Connect with City staff for more detailed information on cost, considerations, accessibility standards, and other important details.
Build-your-own seating options
LoveMyHood’s ‘Build-Your-Own’ option provides residents with the opportunity to get creative!
‘Build-Your-Own’ projects may take more time and effort, and will be considered by City staff in unique situations and with supporting design rationale.
Interested in a Build-Your-Own project? Here’s what you’ll need to provide City staff with to make it happen:
- A written outline of the design rationale.
- A sketch and/or drawing of the design.
- The preferred location for the project.
- The types of materials you will use to construct your design.
- A list of the technical support involved in the project (i.e. engineer or designer)
- An estimated budget for material, fabrication, installation.
We suggest connecting with City staff right away before getting started on any “Build-Your-Own” project.
How do I get started?
Before you start a project, we recommend that you connect with the Neighbourhood Development Office. The Neighbourhood Development Office is your first point of contact for all LoveMyHood initiatives and the driving force for the LoveMyHood strategy. We will connect you with a Single Point of Contact who can help you get started on your neighbourhood project.
How much will a project like this cost?
Costs will vary significantly depending the scope of your idea for the project. It could range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Consult with City staff to determine what permits and approvals may be required. This will vary depending on your project. Connect with City staff for more on project requirements. Remember to contact Ontario One Call before you dig.
Overall, the entire project could take several months to complete depending the project type. The most time-consuming part of public seating may be working with your neighbours and City staff to plan larger-scale projects.
If you and your neighbours are interested in completing a neighbourhood seating project, funding may be available through the LoveMyHood Matching Grant, or a number of other sources. You can also seek donations from partners or businesses. Just ask City staff to help you explore your options.
How much maintenance is needed?
Standard benches require little to no maintenance from residents, while custom-built benches will require a moderate amount of maintenance. We recommend that you connect with city staff in the early stages of planning your project to find out how much maintenance for your project may be required.
Subscribe to the #LoveMyHood Newsletter
Get all the latest #LoveMyHood news, resources and funding opportunities straight to your inbox.