Your concern is a common challenge for many urban planners and community managers. The need for public seating in downtown areas must be balanced with broader maintenance and safety goals. Fortunately, several design approaches can provide resting spots for legitimate daytime users while making them unsuitable for extended overnight sleeping.
A primary strategy involves segmented seating. Instead of long, flat surfaces, benches are designed with individual seats separated by armrests or dividers. These physical barriers make it impossible to lie down flat across the bench. The armrests themselves are often a welcome feature for elderly or disabled individuals who need assistance sitting down or standing up.
Another effective design incorporates slanted or curved surfaces. A slightly angled seat pan, while still comfortable for short-term sitting, becomes increasingly uncomfortable over time and prevents a person from lying back. Similarly, benches with a subtle wave-like or undulating surface follow the same principle—they are fine for a 15-minute rest but impractical for sleeping.
Material choice and strategic shaping also play a role. Benches made with materials that rapidly lose heat or become cold can be a deterrent. More overtly, some designs feature a central divider or multiple individual seats that break up the line. The classic "Camden bench," for example, is an amorphous, multi-angled concrete form that offers perching spots but no flat, continuous area.
It's important to acknowledge that this practice falls under the term "hostile architecture" or "defensive design." While it addresses immediate practical concerns like ensuring benches are available for shoppers, tourists, and those waiting for buses, it also sparks ethical debates about how public spaces treat all citizens, including the unhoused. The solution often lies in a holistic approach: combining thoughtfully designed street furniture with compassionate social services and housing policies to address the root causes of homelessness, rather than just its symptoms in public spaces.
For your downtown area, we recommend consulting with a landscape architecture or street furniture specialist. They can help you select specific models that match your aesthetic, budget, and functional requirements, creating a welcoming yet manageable public environment for everyone.