Guide to Designing a Park Seating Area

Parks offer green spaces to connect with friends, engage with nature and achieve your step goals. They’re also a great place to take kids. The World Health Organization recommends that children over the age of 5 should spend 60 minutes a day doing physical activity, and parks provide the ideal space for daily exercise.

However, with summers becoming hotter and longer, park planners must incorporate shaded seating areas for visitors to experience these benefits. Learn how to optimize your public park design for maximum community value.

Introduction to Park Seating Area Design

Community park seating areas provide a comfortable place for adults and children to relax. As seating requires a flat surface for stability, identifying level places within your park will help shape your design. Another consideration is natural shade. People will likely visit the park at varying points during the day, so placing seating close to trees can reduce sun exposure.

If trees are limited, park shade structures offer a helpful alternative to block the sun’s harmful UV rays. By incorporating quality shade structures, park planners enable people to enjoy a wide range of activities — 365 days of the year. Some park activities that are infinitely better with shaded seating include:

• Picnics with friends or family
• Celebratory events, such as kids’ birthday parties or bridal showers
• Community gatherings
• Alone time with a good book or journal
• Supervising children playing

Essential Considerations for Designing a Park Seating Area

When designing a seating area for a park or recreation center, consider several factors. Here’s an overview of key elements to ensure you create a space everyone will enjoy.

Accessible Design for Everyone

People of all ages and abilities deserve to experience the many physical and mental health benefits of parks. To ensure this, the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that all public spaces require equal access. When designing your park, consider hosting a community meeting where residents can offer input on how to achieve this goal better. Some other ways to promote inclusive park experiences include:

• Increasing access points so people living in different areas of the community have easy access.
• Offering youth programs that accommodate all abilities and socioeconomic statuses.
• Maintaining pathways and routes ensures pedestrians, cyclists and people using mobility devices such as wheelchairs can move freely.

In designing your seating area, park planners need to ensure that all pathways from the parking lots and buildings are accessible for people of all abilities. Architects or park planners can do this by including elements such as handrails, surfacing with good traction and adequate lighting. In addition, including various kinds of seating — with and without armrests — further increases accessibility.

Selecting Weather-Resistant Furniture

Park furniture is a significant investment, so it’s best to choose options that withstand the elements. Here are some of the most durable furniture materials to consider:

• Metal: Cast aluminum tables and chairs offer exceptional durability in all weather conditions. It’s also a low-maintenance furniture option, as it only needs an occasional spray-down.
• Hardwood: Materials such as white oak, teak and cedar are popular options for their longevity. Wood retains less heat than materials such as plastic and metal, making it more comfortable on hot days.
• Recycled plastic: Recycled plastic furniture ticks all the boxes — cost-effective, sustainable and durable. Park planners can also customize the color of the furniture, enabling your park to stand out from the rest.
• Polished concrete: Concrete furniture is a good choice, as it won’t fade in the sun or rot in wet conditions. It also retains less heat.

When choosing furniture for your park, consider the budget, ease of maintenance and degree of UV exposure. Placing furniture near trees or under park shade structures will help to extend the life span of benches and picnic tables significantly.

Incorporating Pedestrian and Safety Lighting

Working professionals generally head to the park before or after working hours, enabling them to get some fresh air or exercise. While there’s likely to be enough natural light at these times during spring and summer, the sun rises and sets later in the cooler months. One way to ensure a safer environment for those visiting the park at dawn or dusk is to illuminate pedestrian walkways. Consider placing lampposts and other illumination solutions in high-traffic areas such as:

• Playgrounds
• Park entrances and exits
• Car or bike parking areas
• Park features, such as fountains or murals
• Restrooms

Families or friend groups may choose to meet at the park after work for a shared dinner. Positioning your picnic tables and dining sets near lampposts allows them to enjoy their picnic even as the sun starts to set. In addition, placing benches in illuminated areas allows those visiting the park at dusk to sit quietly and reflect on the day.

When incorporating lighting into your park design, consider using more sustainable solutions such as LED lightbulbs. As LED technology uses approximately 75% less energy and lasts up to 25 times longer than conventional incandescent lighting, they provide an energy-efficient alternative.

Community Park Furniture Options

By incorporating a variety of furniture in an outdoor space, park managers provide spaces for people to enjoy their lunch or rest for a while. Some furniture options to consider include:

• Benches: Outdoor benches positioned strategically around your park allow adults and children to rest when they are tired. In addition, placing a few benches around the playground enables caregivers to sit while supervising their kids.
• Picnic tables: While eating a packed lunch in nature is a wonderful pastime, some people struggle to lower themselves onto the ground. Picnic tables provide a convenient solution as people of all ages can enjoy a meal outdoors.
• Dining sets: If the park design includes grills, a dining set provides additional seating and surfaces to prepare and enjoy food. Incorporating drink rails and pedestal tables further enhances the barbeque experience.

Styling an Outdoor Seating Area

Once you’ve considered how to make your park more inclusive and chosen your furniture, the next step is to design your layout. Use these tips to ensure a comfortable and inclusive design.

How to Style an Outdoor Seating Area

When planning your seating area, consider the following ideas for your arrangement:

• Natural shade: Placing seating areas close to trees and other natural structures lets people relax in the shade — even on hot days.
• Playground proximity: Caregivers need to supervise children playing on playground equipment. Benches provide a comfortable seating option for parents and guardians.
• Hand sanitizing station: From playground structures to armrests, people come into contact with numerous surfaces during a park visit. Easy access to hand sanitizer helps to minimize the spread of viruses and bacteria.
• Bike rack: Visitors may bike to the park and need a way to store their bikes securely. Providing a bike rack helps encourage this healthy activity.
• Waste and recycling bins: Parks provide a beautiful space to engage with nature — ensure the space stays clean by including several trash collection points in your design. Research state recycling guidelines, and implement recycling bins to support these environmental rules.

Integrating Park Shade Structures

Making the most of trees in your park design is good practice. However, the level of shade will change according to the time of day. Purchasing a shade option from a reputable supplier such as USA Shade protects people from up to 97% of the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. Here’s a quick overview of some of the most popular structures:

• Sails: There are three-, four- or five-point sail structures to choose from. These options ensure optimal outdoor shade, making them perfect for park seating areas.
• Single-post structures: Whether park managers select a gorgeous blue butterfly or a standard umbrella-type structure, single-post structures offer ample shade.
• Hip-shades: Cantilever designs are common hip-shades. These structures offer optimal shade without compromising space.
• Multi-sided: From triangular-based structures to hexagon multi-panel designs, there are multiple shade structures to suit your every need.

There are several benefits to adding shade structures to your park, such as protecting playground equipment and increasing visitor comfort. Here are some park locations that benefit most from shade structures:

• Picnic areas: The sun is directly overhead during midday, which is also the time that many people venture out for a picnic. Shaded picnic areas allow adults and children to enjoy their lunch in relative comfort.
• Playgrounds: Multi-sided shade structures are versatile, enabling them to cover and protect playground equipment. It’s also a good idea to incorporate shade structures on the playground perimeter, so caregivers can sit in the shade.
• Parking lots: By incorporating shade structures in your parking lot, you help to protect visitors’ cars from direct sun exposure.

Enhancing Public Park Design With Community Engagement

Engaging community stakeholders ensures a better-shaded seating area from the get-go. Some success stories from other parks include:

• Woodland Sports Park: By incorporating custom-built cantilever designs, this sports field offers shade where it is needed most.
• Mueller Park Amphitheater: This beautiful park offers a shade structure that ensures the best of both worlds — pond views and green spaces.
• Wounded Warrior Park: By incorporating the innovative Pegasus design, this area sets itself apart from the rest with shaded structures.

Advanced Design Concepts

Parks have transitioned from being simple green spaces to exciting areas filled with an array of amenities. If you’re a park planner or architect, it’s always beneficial to stay up-to-date with the latest park trends to provide a better visitor experience. Learn more about park innovations to improve your seating areas, community engagement and recreation opportunities in your park.

Sustainable Features

Parks allow people of all ages to engage with nature. Spending time among trees, other plants and animals offers many health benefits and lays a foundation for nature conservation. As environmental factors like global warming and climate change continue to threaten plant and animal species, incorporating eco-friendly features helps reinforce the importance of sustainability. Here are some eco features parks can include:

• Solar panels: By implementing a renewable energy system, parks can power light sources and other electrical equipment without releasing greenhouse gases.
• Rain gardens: These gardens are slightly lower than the rest of the landscape, positioning them to capture stormwater. Rain gardens filled with perennial flowers also attract bees and other pollinators.
• Green roofs: Park buildings could incorporate green roofs, which are essentially flower beds on top of structures. Aside from adding to the park’s aesthetics, they help to keep buildings cool, resulting in better energy usage.
• Durable equipment: Choosing furniture and playground equipment made from long-lasting materials means there is less chance of it breaking down, causing park managers to discard it.

Fitness and Playground Equipment

Many people head to the park for a brisk walk or jog. Adding outdoor gym equipment, such as ab boards, rowing machines and pull-up bars, significantly enhances the fitness experience. As visitors won’t be required to pay a costly gym membership, residents of all socioeconomic statuses can gather to achieve their fitness goals.

Playgrounds are fairly common in parks, encouraging children of all ages to engage in outdoor play. However, equipment innovations such as themed jungle gyms and multigenerational swing sets help ensure a more exciting and inclusive play experience.

Art Displays

While parks are already a source of natural beauty, statues, murals and other art installations can enhance the overall aesthetic, especially in seating areas. Some artwork may also incorporate cultural elements, helping to celebrate the diversity of the community.

If space allows, include a raised platform to showcase performing arts. Park planners could design a park seating area near the outdoor stage to allow visitors to sit comfortably and enjoy the show.

Outdoor Learning Areas

Including more structured learning areas within a park helps to further educational outcomes. For example, park planners could design a sensory garden to provide children with an opportunity to explore the five senses. Adding shade structures and benches within the garden would encourage children to spend a little longer in the space, listening to bird calls or smelling fragrant flowers.

Nature trails provide another opportunity for more structured learning. These pathways could feature informational signs about the plants and birds people are likely to see on their walk.

Community Vegetable Gardens

Between preparing the soil and planting produce, a communal vegetable garden provides the perfect opportunity for local visitors to engage with one another. It’s also a great way to teach children about sustainability and plant life cycles.

As vegetables grow best in direct sunlight, park planners will need to allocate a sunny spot for a communal garden. Providing a shaded seating area alongside the garden will allow visitors to take occasional rests and admire their hard work.

Choose USA SHADE for Covered Seated Areas

Your park planners can choose the best furniture and layout for your park seating area — but without shaded solutions, your visitors will have limited enjoyment in warmer weather.

From full arch cantilever designs to unique butterfly shade structures, USA SHADE offers many different canopy options to enhance your park layout. Choose one of our existing structures or customize the size and color of your structure for a completely custom design. Our friendly team is ready to answer all questions and make your shaded structures a reality! Contact us for more information on how we can tailor shaded options for your green space or recreation area.