The following is an essay I wrote for a class called "Reading Prague: The City as a Metaphor for Human Existence." I thought it was an interesting idea and would love to hear what anyone thinks about my ideas in this paper. I hope you enjoy this post.
Some people call me lazy but I sit down because I like the view.
A few weeks ago, I toured the city of Madrid with a highlighted map and my thoughts. I walked at my own pace, visiting some sights longer than others, really saw the city as I wanted to see it. I visited the Reina Sofia museum first and here I noticed how little I actually enjoyed abstract art. Consequently, I found myself thinking that I should just leave. When I walked out of the Sofia Reina I realized that this was my trip, independent from anyone else's plans, to be done my way. I sat down on a wall a few feet off the ground of the Reina Sofia Square where a group of ten teenagers were playing soccer. I thought it was the coolest thing. These kids were not only incredible, I was also amazed at the juxtaposition of a pick-up game of soccer and the world-renowned Reina Sofia museum. So I sat and watched. Eventually I looked at my watch and realized that I had watched the game longer than I had been inside the museum; I was very content sitting and watching. The last touristy thing I saw in Madrid was the Teplo de Debod, a temple donated to Spain by the Egyptian government situated on a hill with a beautiful view of the Almudena Cathedral, the royal palace, and other parts of the city. Having been exhausted by that point, I was glad to find a plethora of benches on the small hill. I remember appreciating the views made possible by the positioning of the benches; I could relax and see the sights at the same time. Then an idea hit me, benches are definitely strategically placed in this area, in Madrid, and in different cities across the world. There has to be reason for a bench to be put somewhere. This marked the beginning of my semiotic study of benches.
Semiotics can be defined as the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. Marcel Danesi, professor of Semiotics and Communication Theory at Victoria College in Toronto, defines the goal of semiotics as “to identify what constitutes a sign and what its meanings are” in his book Of Cigarettes, High Heels, and Other Interesting Things. Signs are “symbols capable of being described and catalogued, which can denote precise functions provided one interprets them in the light of certain codes” (from Umberto Eco's Function and Sign: The Semiotics of Architecture). Danesi defines codes as “systems of signs–gestures, movements, words, glances–that human beings routinely enlist to make and send out messages.” There are certain messages made from codes of signs regarding benches, their placements, aesthetics, etc. Those in charge of a city's landscape controls where a bench will be, if at all, and those decisions inform travelers of the area's significance. I believe that locating a bench, or benches, in a certain area and in front of certain things reflects the landscaper's idea of the area's level of importance. This idea then shapes the traveler's experience of the sight into a predefined mold. The city planner tells the traveler what he should stop to explore further and what to move passed, what deserves his attention and what deserves a glance or two. In this essay I will expand on these theories and apply them to different cities to which I have traveled in Europe: Madrid, Paris, and Prague.
The first thing I wrote in my journal as I sat waiting for my flight out of Madrid was, “I want to move to Madrid.” Recounting my memories, I recall feeling completely elated by the city. Besides the really interesting culture and daily schedule, I was blown away at how accessible the city felt. I walked for three to four hours for two days straight but was not nearly as exhausted as I should have been. The reason is because Madrid's landscape is very people-friendly. There are parks, gardens, and squares all over the city, those combined with the great weather make the city comfortable. Retiro Park, the second best park only to New York City's Central Park in my opinion, is full of benches. The park 1.4 square kilometers, 350 acres, and everywhere you turn rests a bench. The purposes of benches in this park are very simple and straightforward. They encourage the traveler to sit down, relax, and enjoy the park and the people walking by. A lot of the park is constructed to provide many secluded areas in which I witnessed couples enjoying their love in the privacy provided. The bench, with the park's help, becomes a symbol of romance, an ideal very important to the Spanish people. At the heart of the city lies Puerta del Sol, the main square of Madrid. Puerta del Sol hosts the conversations of hundreds and hundreds, possibly a thousand, friends until the incredibly late/early hours of the morning. This area of the city does not have benches in the traditional sense but has many places to sit, the rim of a fountain, the stoop of the metro's entranceway, and so on. I think the square was designed to allow people to sit and enjoy their surroundings yet in a way so as to not inhibit the effectiveness of a mass of protesting people. I could talk in detail about every sight in Madrid and each's specific design but I will briefly summarize. Madrid was designed to be enjoyed, giving people the opportunity to relish in every little pleasure by providing so many to sit, relax, and reflect.
In Paris I could feel the hustle and bustle almost everywhere I went, the complete opposite of Madrid's atmosphere. definitely the most metropolitan city I have been while abroad. I remember seeing benches only in a few places: a bridge near the Notre Dame, around and under the Eiffel Tour, in the Tuileries Garden, and in metro stations. Only a combined forty minutes was spent in those places, the rest of the weekend I was on the go. I did not notice any benches facing the Arc de Triomphe, along the Champs-Élysées, or really anywhere else for that matter aside from those aforementioned and a few random benches here and there. This does not come as much of a surprise. To me, not having places to sit signals that I should keep going and not spend any more time in the current area. If the city does not think the spot worthy of putting a bench then the city signifies to the traveler that this place is not worth his time. While the Champs-Élysées is a magnificent sight, a bench in the middle of the sidewalk would completely ruin the rhetorical message of the avenue. The Champs-Élysées is a busy street filled with busy people who need to attend to business. Business transactions do not take place on benches so to have them lining the most famous street in Paris is not practical. One thing I appreciate about Paris is that the city recognizes its nature and provides benches in the metro stations and at bus stops. The non-stop character of the city is well known and so because the traveler must keep going while in the heart of the city, he can relax while he waits for the train to go home. Interestingly enough, on October 21, 2011, the Huffington Post released an article detailing Mayor Bloomberg's initiative to install 1,000 new benches in New York City. The Post writes: “The CityBench program is aimed to make life more comfortable for pedestrians, especially those waiting for public transportation and areas with a higher number of senior citizens in the neighborhood.” For cities that do not sleep, it is nice to know that there are at least a couple of places to rest for a minute. The lack of benches in most public spaces in Paris tells a great deal about what the city values, business and hard work. The emphasis here is clearly on being fast-paced which is in direct contrast to Madrid where one can sit and spend hours anywhere (this is not to say that Madrid does not stand for business and hard work, but the prevailing attitude among the city is much more relaxed than in Paris).
Prague's benches as signs and codes are much harder to interpret than other cities'. Some of the most post-carded views in the city have few and not very inviting benches. I do think Prague is a very nice population of benches, especially in the more touristy areas, but really lacks them in more everyday, functional areas. I recently revisited the Vyšehrad, and Petřin with my ideas of benches in mind, which are two of the best elevated views of Prague. In both places I found benches. At Vyšehrad I found them lining the perimeter of the complex so as to look out onto the southern and western sides of Prague. On Petřin I noticed them lining the edges of gardens and also near the Prague Eiffel Tour, looking out at the eastern side of the city. However, the benches were not very comfortable, nor did they provide the best view. The benches at Vyšehrad sank low to the ground making it difficult to see over the wall, and there were very few benches with a view on Petřin. Another interesting part of the mix is that there are no or only a couple of seats at most tram and metro stations. It seems as though those who planned the city decided to only provide foreigners, those who frequent touristy places like Vyšehrad, Petřin, and the Prague Castle, with places from which to look down upon the city, but do not supply much for locals. A foreign traveler could get a relaxing view of Prague's beautiful shell yet not know anything about the local culture or people. Travelers do not stay long in Prague because there are only a few places to sit and enjoy the city, most of them being on the outskirts of the city center looking in. One of the most post-carded sights in Prague is the view from near the tram stop Karlovy Lázně, looking out at the Charles Bridge and up at the castle and St. Vitus's Cathedral. There are very, very few benches along the river in this area and those that are there are ugly and cheaply made; it does not seem like a place one should spend much time even though in reality it is one of the most beautiful sights. It is possible that if there were more benches, people might stay longer in certain places and thus extend their stay in the city longer than one and a half days. More benches could also improve the attitude of the locals, as well.
Benches are great travel guides because they relay a clear and important message: if there is a bench, the city thinks that the area should be enjoyed while relaxing, that one should stop his day to pay attention to his surroundings. The city sends the opposite message when there are no benches. When sitting, the body rests in a comfortable, less demanding position than when standing. This allows the mind to focus on the what the eyes see with the least amount of bodily distractions. Sitting and enjoying the surrounding area can be therapeutically peaceful. Without such an outlet, it puts more pressure on the home to be a place of relaxation, creating unnecessary stress when problems arise at home. In a city with no benches, one has no place to mentally center himself during the day. I think benches are incredibly important to the happiness of a city for these reasons, and I would not be surprised to see New York City's happiness levels climb with the installation of 1,000 new benches.
Thanks so much for reading.
All the best,
Than
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