3 Ashland parks testing out new seating arrangements

ASHLAND, Ore. – The Ashland Parks and Recreation commission is piloting new park seating designed for conversation and connection.

According to the department, “Conversation Clusters” are public seating that allows people to face each other at a comfortable distance.

Ashland Parks is currently testing three different seating arrangements at three different parks: Lithia Park, Garfield Park, and Glenwood Park.

Interim Parks Director Leslie Eldridge notes, “The moveable chairs at the bottom of Lithia Park are the biggest experiment. We hope the public will enjoy the flexibility to choose their own location on the green. We are trusting the community to use the chairs there and leave them for other park users to enjoy. However, if people remove the chairs from the park or move them to other locations, we won’t be able to replace them.”

Community members are encouraged to give feedback on the demonstration project by completing a survey about the different seating styles. You can take the survey once for each site visited. To access the survey online, scan a QR code at the sites. The survey will remain open until December 17.

The survey results will be publicized once its finished and the parks department says it will help inform future decisions about park seating.