Public benches reveal whether a city expects people to be human between destinations.

Somewhere to sit is a statement about who is welcome to be there. A street with benches assumes people who tire, wait, are pregnant, use a stick, have young children or simply want to look at something for a while. A street without them assumes everybody is passing through at speed with somewhere else to be. That decision is made by people and can be made differently.

Notice on your next walk where you could sit without buying something, and who that helps. If you have any say over a space, benches and shade are among the cheapest ways to include people. And when a bench exists, use it occasionally.