Cities for People: A+DS Interviews Jan Gehl
Drawing on more than 50 years of work and research in transforming the urban environment, Danish architect Jan Gehl has produced a new publication that aims to present his findings of what constitutes good city design to a global audience.
As the title 'Cities for People' suggests, Jan Gehl is a firm believer that the starting point for the design of cities should be the people that occupy them. He stresses the importance of designing the ground level to suit the human scale and incorporating space for citizens to gather and interact.
The book supports a new paradigm within city planning where creating a successful city is less about accommodating a maximum flow of vehicles and more about the experience of the pedestrian or cyclist. Gehl advocates that giving greater consideration to the citizen can achieve a far more healthy, sustainable and liveable city by supporting modern lifestyle needs for greater social interaction and physical exercise.
Highlighting precedents from city spaces world wide, 'Cities for People' illustrates how Gehl's teachings can be interpreted in a variety of climates in both the developed and developing world. Furthermore, the inclusion of a well illustrated toolbox serves to make this publication truly accessible to all levels of interest.
A+DS met with Jan Gehl on his trip to Scotland in 2011 and took this opportunity to conduct a short interview on some of the topics covered by his new book. This interview can be viewed in the video below.