random pdf on public spaces social interactions

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LIFE BETWEEN BUILDINGSPRESENTED BY: NICK SOFOUL

FEB 3, 2010

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• Who is Jan Gehl?

• Gehl v. Functionalist Planners

•

What is Life Between Buildings?• Social Psychology / Design Research

• Applications of Life Between Buildings

• Conclusions• Questions/Comments

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WHO IS JAN GEHL?

• Born 9/17/1936

• Danish Architect andUrban Designer

• Royal Danish Academyof the Fine Arts

• “Life Between

Buildings” (1971/1987)• “Public Spaces, Public

Life” (2004) 

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Jan Gehl v. “Functionalist Planners” 

• “Excessive thinning-out of dwellings assured air &light but also caused EXCESSIVE thinning of people/events.” 

• “…mass media and shopping centers equal theONLY contact points with the outside world”

• “streets and squares became roads, paths, andendless front lawns.”

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Jab towards Planners

“If a team of planners at anytime had been giventhe task of doing what they could to reduce life

between buildings, they hardly could of achievedmore thoroughly what has inadvertently been

done in the sprawling suburban areas, as well as,numerous “urban” redevelopment schemes.”

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Jab towards Architects“If life between buildings is given favorable conditions

through sensible planning of cities and housingalike, many costly and often stilted and strained

attempts to make architectural effects can bespared.”

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VERSUS

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LIFE BETWEEN BUILDINGS

• Emphasizes theneed for SOCIALCONTACT and

STIMULATIONthrough urbandesign

• Grounded inSocial/Developmental Psychology

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LIFE BETWEEN BUILDINGS

• Social contact can be measured by “intensity.” Gehlargues that by increasing the chance of “low intensity”contacts will in turn allow for more complex socialinteractions.

Close

Relationships

Friends

Acquaintances

Chance Contact

Passive ContactINTENSITY

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PUBLIC SPACES & SOCIAL PSYCH

• Studies show that dailyactivities increasechances of developingcontacts.

• People are more likelyto be close friends withpeople to live/work nearthem.

• Frequent contact iscritical for socialdevelopment of children

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Social/Urban Research

• Park benches in the“lively” areas are utilizedmore than in the “quiet”areas.

• People more likely to stopwhen walking in front of newspaper kiosks, outsidecinemas, clothing stores,

photography exhibits, andtoy stores thanbanks/offices.

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More Research• “A direct connection between

street quality and streetactivity” 

• In Copenhagen, the number of public squares/pedestrianstreets tripled between 1968

and 1986 likewise, a tripling of the number of people standingand sitting was recorded.

• In San Francisco, thedeterioration of the public

space was noted when trafficincreased from 2K to 8K to 16Kvehicles. At 16K cars, “outdooractivities became practicallynon-existent”

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Copenhagen Street Study

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The Creation of Life Between Buildings

City and Site Planning (General) Detail Planning

Places to assemble/disperse, places to

integrate/segregate, places to

invite/repel, places to open up/close in

Spaces for walking, staying, standing,

sitting, seeing, hearing, talking, “a

pleasant place in every respect,” soft

edges

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DESIGN

+SOCIAL PSYCH

=

SOCIAL

INTERACTION

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Urban Design at Work: NYC Madison

Square

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Jan Gehl’s Work: Shared Streets

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Conclusion

• Life between buildings tookon the problem of “dead”cities by looking at thecause (single-use zoning),

and offers solutions tobring places back to “life.”

• Jan’s views of society mightconflict with some“American” values/desires

of privacy, space, and“lawns” 

• Life between buildings =PLANNING FOR PEOPLE!

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QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?