IC official defends design of downtown benches
Lang
12/8/18
An official with the city of Iowa City is defending the design of new Ped Mall benches that some say discriminate against the homeless.
The benches have armrests in the middle, which some critics claim were designed to prevent people from lying on them.
But Scott Sovers, the Senior Civil Engineer for the city, told the Press-Citizen people feel more comfortable sharing a bench with someone they don’t know if there’s something separating them, such as an armrest. He says the design received positive feedback among people who attended public forums in 2014 when the proposed design was revealed to the public.
The bench controversy began when the Iowa City Catholic Worker posted a photo of the benches on its Facebook page, asking, “Do Iowa City’s new Ped Mall benches discriminate against the homeless?” It also included a photo of a homeless man sleeping on one of the old Ped Mall benches.
Catholic Worker spokeswoman Emily Sinnwell told The Daily Iowan that the group is concerned that the new benches discriminate against the homeless, making them unwelcome downtown.
Some disabled residents have spoken out in favor of the benches, saying they use the middle bar to brace themselves when they stand up.
The city council considered an ordinance in 2013 that would have banned lying on downtown benches from 5am to 10pm, but it failed to gain a majority vote.