Field Notes: Conversation Landscape
We first became acquainted with the concept of a conversation landscape from the work by the urban designer Jan Gehl. The following quote from the book Life Between Buildings captured the concept well.
“Chairs placed close together around a table, such as in sidewalk cafes, help conversations start. Good conversation landscapes can be found in traditional European train compartments. In contrast, seating arrangements in airplanes and new trains and buses discourage conversations. Here the passengers sit behind one another and see only the backs of the heads of their fellow passengers… Curved benches or benches placed at an angle to one another often will permit a valuable choice of action. When sitting at an angle to one another it is a bit easier to start a conversation if there is mutual interest in doing so, and if conversation is not wanted, it is also easier to free oneself from an undesired situation. Such conversation landscapes have been a guiding principle for architect Ralph Erskine, who has used them widely in his residential building projects. Almost all benches in his public spaces are arranged two and two, placed at right angles around a table, which gives additional possibilities for taking work and refreshments out into the public spaces. Thus the sitting area facilitates a number of functions beyond merely sitting.” – Jan Gehl
And an illustration of an earlier conversation landscape showed the power of the conversation landscape to bring people together, and facilitate conversation as well as civic connection.
With this in mind in 2022, Metuchen, New Jersey secured a grant from AARP Livable Communities to build a conversation landscape in Metuchen. The site was the unassuming corner of a surface parking lot adjacent to multi-family housing and next door to the Metuchen Senior Center. It was proposed to place a table with a mosaic, benches, and planters here.
Iteration #1, February 2023-March 2023
Iteration #2, March 2023 – present
Some time after the initial installation one of the benches was moved with it’s back against the traffic lane and facing towards the Woodmont building, rather than facing towards the parking lot across the street. This was a much better view.
There is some discussion among Borough officials to change the orientation of the benches. Will be interesting to see if a change is made to the earlier configuration or if adequate separation is made with planters and plantings between the lane of parking lot driving lane and the bench.
In 12 days since the last visit we noticed no recognizable change. We did find out, however, that staff from Woodmont frequently have lunch here. Nice to know that someone is finding value. The head on arrangement of the two benches is less conversational for the same reason you never want to sit across the table from someone you’re trying to get agreement with. Better to sit by their side instead of glowering head on. Will see if the powers that be change anything.