1) The document discusses a shift in urban planning paradigms from prioritizing cars and traffic to prioritizing people and public life. 2) It provides examples of cities like Copenhagen that transformed their urban spaces by reducing car infrastructure and increasing bike lanes and pedestrianized areas. 3) The result has been more vibrant and livable cities with increases in walking, cycling, and public life compared to cities planned primarily around traffic and cars.

1. CITIES FOR PEOPLE
JAN GEHL, PROFESSOR, DR. LITT.
FOUNDING PARTNER: GEHL ARCHITECTS
URBAN QUALITY CONSULTANTS, COPENHAGEN

2. CHANGE OF PARADIGM 1
1960

3. CHANGE OF PARADIGM 2
From 1955….
Car invasion
Perth, West Australia Elsinore, Denmark

4. Jane Jacobs
*
1961

5. Lower Manhattan Expressway

6. Celebrating the Gateway in Washington Square Park!

7. ”THE BRASILIA SYNDROME”!
(City Planning from 5.000 meter above
5 000
the ground )
THE PLANNERS :PLANNING FROM ABOVE AND FROM A DISTANCE

8. Brasilia (1955- )

9. Brasilia -The people scale is completely neglected

10. Downtown, Dubai

11. THE ARCHITECTS : MORE AND MORE FOCUSSED ON FORM

12. Downtown, Dubai

13. Brooklyn, New York – Residences: Frank Gehry

16. THE TRAFFIC PLANNERS: MAKING ROOM FOR THE TRAFFIC
THE TRAFFIC PLANNERS: MAKING THE CARS HAPPY

18. All Cities have Traffic
Departments and perfect
statistics concerning traffic
and parking
*
The
Th cars are very visible and
i ibl d
everpresent in the planning
p p g
process

19. Landscape Architects: Looking after the landscape?

20. Who, by the way, look after the People Landscape
The Human Dimension – The City at eye level ?

21. Do you know of any City department for
pedestrians and public life?
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
pa
planning process
g p ocess

26. ”Welcome to the New London” (Norman Foster)

27. Enjoy yourself in EuroLille (Rem Koolhaas)

28. Welcome to the Riverside and please enjoy!!!

30. Old Housing area (1905)
Cope age , e
Copenhagen, Denmarka
Uninteresting
City Plan Scale

31. But a really nice
and inviting
d i iti
People Scale

32. The most important scale of all is
People Scale
The City at eye level and at 5 km/h
y y

33. 2010
After
Aft 50 years:
Another change
of Paradigm
WANTED:
- Lively City
- Attractive City
- Safe City
- Sustainable City
- Healthy City

34. “CITIES FOR PEOPLE” (sept 2010)
( p )
The neglected dimension

35. Lively City

36. Attractive City
People Scale, Less Stress, Less Noise, Less Pollution + a City
p y
dominated by Attraction No. 1: PEOPLE

37. Safe city
Safe city

38. Sustainable City
A good Public Realm is a crucial factor
for good Public Transportation

39. Healthy City
“Houston - th City with th
“H t the Cit ith the
fattest people of the World”

40. INVITATIONS
TO
THE CITY

41. More Roads = More Traffic

43. Taking down Freeways, San Francisco, USA
g y, ,

44. Seoul, Korea
before
after

45. London – Congestion Charge 2003
Congestion charge area - 24 square kilometers

46. Bicycling in Copenhagen
On a citywide network of bicycle lanes

47. An efficient, citywide
transportation system

48. 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.

49. Trains & Metro
welcoming
bicycles

50. Everybody bikes

51. Cello and bass players
cycle

52. All Age Groups bicycle: from 5-85+
Age
A 92
Mother in law: age 85

53. The Danish Crown Prince is doing it too
Two guys on the
road towards the
throne
Princes Frederik and
Christian on their
way to the day care
50% Australian kid !
Even Australians
can learn to bicycle
if they start early!

54. Bicycling has doubled in 10 years

55. Going to work in the City of Copenhagen
37% use bicycle
27% drive car
33% use public transit
5% walk

56. 70% continue to bike in the winter

57. Major complaint : Congestion…
On the bicycle lanes!

60. Copenhagen
From traffic place to people place
p p p p

61. Strøget (main street)
pedestrianized 1962
pedestrianized 1962

62. Jane Jacobs Strøget
1961 p g
Copenhagen
pedestrian st.
1962

63. In 1962 all 18 squares were parking lots
‐ now they are all people squares
h ll l

64. Public Space-Public Life Surveys: Copenhagen 1968, 1985, 1995 (+2005)

65. The development of pedestrian areas in the city
from 1962…7 times more People Space!

66. Many more People are walking in the city

67. 4 times more people
spend time in the city

68. In l
I only 40 years th good season h b
the d has been
extended from 2 to 10 months

69. Copenhagen Street: 2
Sidewalks, 2 proper bicycle
lanes,
lanes street trees 2 lanes
trees,
for 2 way traffic, and a
substan-
substan- tial median to
facilitate
f ilit t crossing the
i th
street
“We do not ha e to think
have
and act as 1960s traffic
engineers for ever. Times
ever. Times
are changing and traffic
engineers are by now much
smarter
smarter”

71. Sidewalks and bicycle lanes are taken across sidestreets,
making the city more comfortable and people friendly!

72. Copenhagen: New Public Life Policy 2009:
“THE WORLD’S FINEST CITY FOR PEOPLE”
Consultants: GEHL Architect
Among the goals: “Everyone to walk 20% more by 2015!!!”

73. Melbourne, - 3 mil. Inh.

74. The Age c.
1980

75. Places for People
1994
Places for People
p
2004
www.gehlarchitects.dk

77. MELBOURNE City Center 1994-2004
Pedestrian t ffi
P d t i traffic weekdays daytime: +40%
kd d ti 40%
Pedestrian traffic evening: +100 %
Stationary activities: +200-300%

78. Retail
Residential
Office Vacancies
Employment
Bars and Pubs

80. Copenhagen Melbourne Oct. 07
M lb O t

81. A CITY GOOD AT PARTIES, OLYMPICS and SUMMITS…

82. … BUT NOT SO GLORIOUS FOR THE EVERYDAY LIFE

83. Main Street in Sydney to be transformed
to pedestrians, bicycles and light rail
pedestrians
Present situation George St. after conversion

94. 9th Ave. Apr.08
9th A
Ave. Sep.08
S 08

96. 2005

97. 2009

100. Broadway Boulevard
23 May 2009
y
“When you can make it
there you can make it
y
anywhere,
New York, New York !!”

101. WELCOME TO THE 21st CENTURY