Jonathan Goss, pictured, managing director of Townscape Products, looks ahead to 2017 with his predictions for the street furniture sector.
The team here at Townscape Products had a very busy 2016 speaking to architects, town planners and contractors to gauge their most pressing needs in the area of street furniture. With these top priorities distilled and a year of product innovation ahead of us, we were keen to put a spotlight on the areas we see as being the key focuses of the street furniture industry in 2017.
Vehicle incursion:
Public safety came into focus here in the UK in 2016 due to the tragic increase in terrorist activity on the Continent. The most worrying aspect of this activity is the move towards the use of vehicles, which were used to devastating effect in Nice and in Berlin – not to target buildings or infrastructure – but crowds of people. This is very much a game changer. With thanks, these horrific incidents have given facility managers, councils and town planners here in the UK renewed vigour when it comes to shoring up our defences.
And no item is more critical to this defence than PAS 68 counter terror blocks or indeed PAS 68 bollards. They can be used to stop vehicle access to public areas and reduce the risk of terrorists harming people, infrastructure or buildings. The great thing is, these barriers exist are quick, easy and cheap to install, and can be delivered in time for pop-up events. They are nothing short of essential to ensuring public safety making them a top priority for 2017.
The rising potential of solar:
We are wholeheartedly predicting a boom in demand for solar street furniture in 2017 as authorities seek sturdy, safe and sustainable products that boast zero running costs. The beauty with solar street furniture products is their versatility. The technology can be incorporated into any item of street furniture from shelters, noticeboards and bollards. While councils across the UK struggle to implement severe spending cuts, advances in street furniture technology are creating a fantastic opportunity to generate long-term financial savings. The biggest no brainer of all is that by banking these savings – authorities can also dramatically improve inner city and suburban safety.
Visual interest:
As regeneration remains a top priority across the UK, more and more emphasis continues to be placed on visual interest and achieving a memorable, timeless look.
In line with this it is now possible for architects, designers, landscapers and planners to lift projects by giving them a signature look or real local significance. Graphic concrete enables a standard or bespoke artistic design to be cast into concrete wall or floor sections. As such, the product is ideal for creating community engagement and lifting the impact of concrete surfaces at hospitals, schools and colleges, workplaces, residential environments, retail, transport hubs and many more public spaces or locations making it on trend for 2017.
Visit www.townscapeproducts.co.uk.
