Meeting benches - new places for encounters and togetherness
Aachen creates space for conversation, closeness and community: the meeting benches invite people to linger and exchange ideas and bring people together - in the middle of city life. They create a simple and open place to make contacts and listen to each other. They strengthen the sense of togetherness in the city and make Aachen even more lively and inclusive.
The meeting benches pursue three central objectives:
- Encourage spontaneous encounters: The benches invite people to chat and help to avoid loneliness. This turns the public space into a lively meeting place for everyone.
- Space for exchange: QR codes provide information on urban projects - so everyone can get information, have their say and help shape the city.
- Strengthening the community: The benches bring people together and ensure that everyone in Aachen feels welcome and connected.
What are meeting benches?
Existing seating in public spaces is being transformed into benches for people to meet. These benches will become clearly recognizable places of exchange through colourful foiling and thematic markings. The meeting benches unite all existing and future bench projects in Aachen under one roof: whether it's mulberry benches for lingering, car-sharing benches to promote mobility, solar benches with a focus on sustainability or thematically branded benches such as the dementia bench (pink) and the equality bench (orange) - all these initiatives find a common platform under the umbrella of the "meeting benches" and reinforce each other's impact.
Join in and experience
Whether at the new Büchel quarter in the old town, at the controversial Kaiserplatz or along the Adalbertstraße shopping mile - the meeting benches can be found in many places. Everyone is invited to use the benches, engage in conversation and become part of a lively community. Join in and help shape Aachen - a place, a bench, a smile can make a big difference!