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People Cities: The Life and Legacy of Jan Gehl
“A good city is like a good party—you stay for longer than you plan,” says Danish architect Jan Gehl. He believes that good architecture is not about form, but about the interaction between form and life. Over the last 50 years, Gehl has changed the way that we think about architecture and city planning—moving from the Modernist separation of uses to a human-scale approach inviting people to use their cities.
At a time when growing numbers are populating cities, planning urban spaces to be humane, safe, and open to all is ever-more critical. With the help of Jan Gehl, we can all become advocates for human-scale design. Jan’s research, theories, and strategies have been helping cities to reclaim their public space and recover from the great post-WWII car invasion. His work has influenced public space improvements in over 50 global cities, including New York, London, Moscow, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Sydney, and the authors’ hometown of Perth.
While much has been written by Jan Gehl about his approach, and by others about his influence, this book tells the inside story of how he learned to study urban spaces and implement his people-centered approach.
People Cities discusses the work, theory, life, and influence of Jan Gehl from the perspective of those who have worked with him across the globe. Authors Matan and Newman celebrate Jan's role in changing the urban planning paradigm from an abstract, ideological modernism to a people-focused movement. It is organized around the creation of that movement, using key periods in Jan’s working life as a structure.
People Cities will inspire anyone who wants to create vibrant, human-scale cities and understand the ideas and work of an architect who has most influenced how we should and can design cities for people.
At a time when growing numbers are populating cities, planning urban spaces to be humane, safe, and open to all is ever-more critical. With the help of Jan Gehl, we can all become advocates for human-scale design. Jan’s research, theories, and strategies have been helping cities to reclaim their public space and recover from the great post-WWII car invasion. His work has influenced public space improvements in over 50 global cities, including New York, London, Moscow, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Sydney, and the authors’ hometown of Perth.
While much has been written by Jan Gehl about his approach, and by others about his influence, this book tells the inside story of how he learned to study urban spaces and implement his people-centered approach.
People Cities discusses the work, theory, life, and influence of Jan Gehl from the perspective of those who have worked with him across the globe. Authors Matan and Newman celebrate Jan's role in changing the urban planning paradigm from an abstract, ideological modernism to a people-focused movement. It is organized around the creation of that movement, using key periods in Jan’s working life as a structure.
People Cities will inspire anyone who wants to create vibrant, human-scale cities and understand the ideas and work of an architect who has most influenced how we should and can design cities for people.
- GenresUrbanismArchitecture
192 pages, Hardcover
Published November 15, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 2, 2025
I just finished an entire book about Jan Gehl and I barely feel like I got to know more about the guy or his work.
People Cities provides a handy overview of his work, both academically and as a consultant, but fails to provide more than a summary. I would have liked—for example—a more thorough analysis of the context in which he undertook his work, or more information on the man behind the public persona.
People Cities provides a handy overview of his work, both academically and as a consultant, but fails to provide more than a summary. I would have liked—for example—a more thorough analysis of the context in which he undertook his work, or more information on the man behind the public persona.
January 5, 2018
Great pictures and story of a man with a vision and with the skill to turn the vision into streets for people.
September 6, 2016
The life and influence
of visionary architect
city planner
Jan Gehl
With an eye towards the future
Gehl has helped shape
modern architecture
with a rare view point
that cities are for the people who
live in them
of visionary architect
city planner
Jan Gehl
With an eye towards the future
Gehl has helped shape
modern architecture
with a rare view point
that cities are for the people who
live in them
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews