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12 Steps to a Great Public Space

Design is only part of a creating a place people love to gather

By Jan Gehl & Lars Gemzoe

Community Life

“Cultures and climates differ all over the world,” notes architect Jan Gehl , “but people are the same. They will gather in public if you give them a good place to do it.”

Gehl, an international consultant on creating great urban spaces from Copenhagen, lists the attributes of a good place here in collaboration with colleague Lars Gemzoe of GehlArchitects .

Once dismissed a provincial city, Barcelona now ranks with Paris and Rome as a European attraction thanks to its lively public spaces. (Photo by Nitatravels under a Creative Commons license.)

1. Protection from traffic
2. Protection from crime
3. Protection from the elements
4. A place to walk
5. A place to stop and stand
6. A place to sit
7. Things to see
8. Opportunities for conversations
9. Opportunities for play
10. Human-scale
11. Opportunities to enjoy good weather
12. Aesthetic quality
— Jan Gehl & Lars Gemzoe

Tags

public spaces, Jan Gehl, Copenhagen

Posted July 12, 2012