Honestly, I’d call it a swing bench rather than forcing it into the urban bench or park bench box. A bench that swings sits somewhere between playful seating, garden furniture, and public seating, so the real answer is: it depends on where it is placed and how it is used.
If a swing bench is placed in a city square, a pedestrian street, a waterfront promenade, or a small plaza between buildings, I’d consider it an urban bench. In those settings, swing benches are usually designed with clean lines, durable steel or timber, and a slightly playful attitude. They give people a reason to pause, linger, and interact with the street. That makes them part of the urban furniture family rather than purely recreational equipment.
If the same swinging bench is placed near a lake, under large trees, along a park path, or next to a playground, I’d comfortably call it a park bench. There it reads as recreational seating: it fits the slower pace, the greenery, and the idea that a park should invite you to stay a little longer.
There is also a middle ground. Many contemporary landscape projects use outdoor swing benches as hybrid pieces—public seating that works in both urban and park settings. The material, color, surrounding planting, and even the frame design often decide the label more than the swinging function itself.
So if you’re choosing or describing one, don’t worry too much about the strict category. Ask instead where it will go and how you want people to use it. Put it in an urban plaza and it’s an urban bench. Put it in a shaded park and it’s a park bench. Either way, it’s a very good excuse to sit outside and swing.