Eight benches recently appeared on curbs in San Francisco, all bearing the DIY-craftsman style of something hammered together in a backyard, from plans pulled off the Internet.
Which, in all likelihood, is how the benches were made.
No individual has publicly taken credit for this unofficial seating, installed near bus stops in the Mission and throughout the East Bay. Yet each bench has a stencil for the “San Francisco Bay Area Bench Collective” website, referring to a loose group of urbanists and do-gooders who believe their furniture provides a “much-needed” space to rest…