For a busy downtown area, I’d usually recommend a metal park bench over a concrete one. Concrete is not a bad material—it is heavy, solid, and can look substantial—but dense urban streets tend to punish certain materials in ways that make metal the more practical choice.
First, metal benches, especially powder-coated steel or aluminum, handle high traffic better. They resist chipping, cracking, and staining when they get bumped by bikes, carts, luggage, or skateboards. Concrete can chip along edges, and in freeze-thaw climates those cracks often spread quickly.
Second, metal is easier to clean and maintain. In a busy downtown, you will deal with graffiti, stickers, spilled drinks, and general grime. Most metal benches have a smooth coated surface that can be wiped or pressure-washed. Concrete is porous, so paint and stains can sink in and become permanent unless it is sealed regularly.
Third, metal benches are more flexible to install. They are lighter than concrete, but quality commercial metal benches can be surface-mounted or embedded securely, so theft is still not easy. You can choose perforated metal slats that drain water and dry quickly after rain, which is a real advantage in a high-use streetscape.
Concrete does have one main benefit: it is extremely heavy and difficult to steal. However, a properly anchored metal bench is also very difficult to remove. Concrete also gets very hot in direct sun, stays colder in winter, and often develops a worn, stained look unless it is maintained.
If you like the look of concrete, a hybrid design can work well: choose a concrete base with a metal or wood seat. That gives visual weight without the full maintenance burden. For most busy downtown projects, though, I would choose a heavy-duty metal park bench with a powder-coated finish and anti-theft mounting. It will look better longer, stay cleaner, and handle daily urban use more gracefully than concrete.