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Within architectural and urban landscapes, street furniture plays an important role in inviting communities to enjoy the public realm. Furniture selection can also contribute to establishing the character and identity of the locale. In a new book, ‘…creating a sense of place’ published by Piper Press, two architects, Darrel Conybeare and Bill Morrison, detail their lifelong mission to design and manufacture street furniture that brings a sense of belonging. The duo created the archetypal Australian park bench in 1978 to furnish an urban design project: City Walk Public Domain in Canberra’s Civic, ACT. They explored universal design principles and durable materials to produce a seat to stand the test of time, with a design language attuned to the public space. The much-loved Classic Plaza Seat is still popular in the …

We count down your most-read articles from StreetChat for the year: featuring great case studies, profiles, street furniture tips and award-winning products. Every month we bring our readers new projects, products and trends from the public domain; subscribe here to receive the monthly update in your inbox. 10. Linea on show in San Diego with Spruce & Gander Our US partner Spruce & Gander, Inc treated San Diego customers to an afternoon of great food and wine at a Pop Up Picnic with Linea Cubes, Platform, Sun Lounge, Seats, Curved Bench and Picnic Settings on show. 9. Case study: Mission Australia DAYS Centre Vulnerable young people can sit together and relax in this courtyard space designed by Emerge Associates for outdoor healing and respite, at the Youth Withdrawal and Respite Centre in Perth, Western Australia. …

ChillOUT Tree, our first modular shade system, has won a prestigious Good Design Award – at Gold level – for outstanding innovation in the Product Design, Commercial and Industrial category. The award is shared by Street Furniture Australia with ChillOUT Hub collaborators – Georges River Council, UNSW and the University of Sydney – partners in prototyping, installing, testing and researching these smart outdoor community spaces as part of a pilot project for the federal Smart Social Spaces program. The Good Design Awards are the highest honour for design and innovation in the country. Entries are evaluated by Australian and international Jurors – including designers, engineers, architects and thought leaders – according to a strict set of criteria including Good Design, Design Innovation and Design Impact. Recognition at the Gold level …

A leading voice in placemaking, Kylie Legge is an architecture graduate, planner, place maker, author, facilitator, curator and entrepreneur. She is founding Director of Place Partners, a multidisciplinary placemaking consultancy based in Sydney, Australia and Place Score – the world’s first place experience measurement company. How did you get started and find your unique career pathway? My career has tended to veer off the beaten track. I’ve never been too worried about what other people think and am risk-hungry. I’m also interested in disruption – looking for better ways of doing things. At 23 as an architecture grad I talked my way into an internship at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. I lived a double life, working in a dive bar by night and at the most …

With the ongoing uncertainty and upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 was another tough year for us all. Outdoor public spaces continue to be vitally important, offering communities a reprieve from living and working indoors. Street Furniture Australia is proud to have contributed to many inspiring and caring places in 2021. Here are 10 of our subscribers’ most-read StreetChat e-newsletter stories for the year. 10. 1.5 million battens: Ari’s 25-year anniversary Street Furniture Australia employee Ari Zaharopoulos celebrated 25 years working with the company. Throughout his career, he has processed an impressive estimated 1.5 million battens. Read more 9. Kirribilli Pop-Up NSW A pop-up project by North Sydney Council, designed by Turf Design Studio and Studio Garbett, has transformed newly pedestrianised Kirribilli streets. Part of the ‘Streets as Shared Spaces’ …

The Smart Places Customer Charter, launched by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in November, invites place designers and custodians to commit to six principles guiding the creation and upkeep of smart city projects. Organisations involved with designing, creating or managing public spaces can sign up to the Charter to demonstrate a commitment to prioritising people, country, sustainability and resilience when creating and maintaining smart places. The six principles have been shaped by direct community input and suggest that “smart places should be built for people and designed with people,” and aim “to harness the potential of new technologies to meet the needs of citizens.” The Charter’s principles are: Co-creating smart places: giving custodians and customers a genuine voice throughout the smart places’ life cycle. Respecting local character: …