CITIES FOR PEOPLE CITIES FOR PEOPLE

JAN GEHL, PROFESSOR, DR. LITT.

FOUNDING PARTNER: GEHL ARCHITECTS
URBAN QUALITY CONSULTANTS, COPENHAGEN
CHANGE OF PARADIGM 1
1960
CHANGE OF PARADIGM 2
From 1955.
Car invasion Car invasion
Perth, West Australia Elsinore, Denmark
Jane Jacobs Jane Jacobs Jane Jacobs Jane Jacobs
**
1961 1961 1961 1961
Lower Manhattan Expressway
Celebrating the Gateway in Washington Square Park!
THE BRASILIA SYNDROME !
(City Planning from 5 000 meter above (City Planning from 5.000 meter above
the ground )
THE PLANNERS :PLANNING FROM ABOVE AND FROM A DISTANCE
Brasilia (1955- )
Brasilia -The people scale is completely neglected
Downtown, Dubai
THE ARCHITECTS : MORE AND MORE FOCUSSED ON FORM
Downtown, Dubai
Brooklyn, New York Residences: Frank Gehry
THE TRAFFIC PLANNERS: MAKING ROOM FOR THE TRAFFIC
THE TRAFFIC PLANNERS: MAKING THE CARS HAPPY
All Cities have Traffic All Cities have Traffic
Departments and perfect
statistics concerning traffic
and parking and parking
*
Th i ibl d The cars are very visible and
everpresent in the planning p p g
process
Landscape Architects: Looking after the landscape?
Who, by the way, look after the People Landscape
The Human Dimension The City at eye level ?
Do you know of any City department for
pedestrians and public life? pedestrians and public life?
Hardly any City has statistics and data Hardly any City has statistics and data
concerning the people who use the city
The people in the City tend to be very
invisible and poorly represented in the
planning process p a g p ocess
Welcome to the New London (Norman Foster)
Enjoy yourself in EuroLille (Rem Koolhaas)
Welcome to the Riverside and please enjoy!!!
Old Housing area (1905)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Uninteresting
Cope age , e a
Uninteresting
City Plan Scale
But a really nice
d i iti and inviting
People Scale
The most important scale of all is
People Scale People Scale
The City at eye level and at 5 km/h y y
2010
Aft 50 After 50 years:
Another change Another change
of Paradigm of Paradigm
WANTED: WANTED:
- Lively City
Attractive City - Attractive City
- Safe City
Sustainable City - Sustainable City
- Healthy City
CITIES FOR PEOPLE (sept 2010) ( p )
The neglected dimension
Lively City
Attractive City
People Scale, Less Stress, Less Noise, Less Pollution + a City p y
dominated by Attraction No. 1: PEOPLE
Safe city Safecity
Sustainable City
A good Public Realm is a crucial factor
for good Public Transportation
Healthy City
H t th Cit ith th Houston - the City with the
fattest people of the World
INVITATIONS INVITATIONS INVITATIONS INVITATIONS
TO TO TO TO
THE CITY THE CITY THE CITY THE CITY
More Roads = More Traffic
Taking down Freeways, San Francisco, USA g y , ,
Seoul, Korea
before before
after
London Congestion Charge 2003
Congestion charge area - 24 square kilometers
On a citywide network of bicycle lanes
Bicycling in Copenhagen
On a citywide network of bicycle lanes
An efficient, citywide
transportation system
Bicycles are taken
straight through the g g
street crossings and the
lanes are marked with
blue blue.
Bicycle signals turn green
six seconds before the car
signals.
Trains & Metro
welcoming welcoming
bicycles
Everybodybikes
Cello and bass players
cycle
A 92
All Age Groups bicycle: from 5-85+
Age 92
Mother in law: age 85
TheDanishCrownPrinceisdoingittoo
Two guys on the
road towards the
throne
Princes Frederik and
Christian on their Christian on their
way to the day care
50% Australian kid !
Even Australians Even Australians
can learn to bicycle
if they start early!
Bicycling has doubled in 10 years
Going to work in the City of Copenhagen
37% use bicycle 37% use bicycle
27% drive car
33% use public transit
5% walk
70% continue to bike in the winter
Major complaint : Congestion
On the bicycle lanes!
Copenhagen
From traffic place to people place p p p p
Strget(mainstreet)
pedestrianized 1962 pedestrianized1962
Jane Jacobs
1961
Strget
Copenhagen p g
pedestrian st.
1962
In1962all18squareswereparkinglots
h ll l nowtheyareallpeoplesquares
Public Space-Public Life Surveys: Copenhagen 1968, 1985, 1995 (+2005)
The development of pedestrian areas in the city
from 19627 times more People Space!
ManymorePeoplearewalkinginthecity
4timesmorepeople
spendtimeinthecity
I l 40 th d h b In only 40 years the good season has been
extended from 2 to 10 months
Copenhagen Street: 2 Copenhagen Street: 2
Sidewalks, 2 proper bicycle Sidewalks, 2 proper bicycle
lanes street trees 2 lanes lanes street trees 2 lanes lanes, street trees, 2 lanes lanes, street trees, 2 lanes
for 2 way traffic, and a for 2 way traffic, and a
substan substan-- tial median to tial median to
f ilit t i th f ilit t i th facilitate crossing the facilitate crossing the
street street
We do not ha e to think We do not ha e to think We do not have to think We do not have to think
and act as 1960s traffic and act as 1960s traffic
engineers for ever engineers for ever. T . Times imes
are changing and traffic are changing and traffic
engineers are by now much engineers are by now much
smarter smarter smarter smarter
Sidewalks and bicycle lanes are taken across sidestreets,
making the city more comfortable and people friendly!
Copenhagen: New Public Life Policy 2009: Copenhagen: New Public Life Policy 2009:
THE THE WORLDS FINEST CITY FOR PEOPLE WORLDS FINEST CITY FOR PEOPLE
Consultants: GEHL Architect Consultants: GEHL Architect
Among the goals: Everyone to walk 20% more by 2015!!! Among the goals: Everyone to walk 20% more by 2015!!!
Melbourne, - 3 mil. Inh.
The Age c.
1980
Places for People Places for People
1994 1994
Places for People Places for People pp
2004 2004
www.gehlarchitects.dk www.gehlarchitects.dk
MELBOURNE City Center 1994-2004
P d t i t ffi kd d ti 40% Pedestrian traffic weekdays daytime: +40%
Pedestrian traffic evening: +100 %
Stationary activities: +200-300%
Retail Retail
Residential Residential
Office Vacancies Office Vacancies
Employment Employment
Bars and Pubs Bars and Pubs
Copenhagen
M lb O t 07
Copenhagen
Melbourne Oct. 07
A CITY GOOD AT PARTIES, OLYMPICS and SUMMITS
BUT NOT SO GLORIOUS FOR THE EVERYDAY LIFE
Main Street in Sydney to be transformed
to pedestrians bicycles and light rail to pedestrians, bicycles and light rail
Present situation George St. after conversion
9th Ave. Apr.08
9th A S 08 9th Ave. Sep.08
2005 2005
2009 2009
Broadway Boulevard
23 May 2009 y
When you can make it
there you can make it y
anywhere,
New York, New York !!
WELCOME TO THE 21st CENTURY