Cities ffor Bi

Citi Bicyclists
li t =
Cities for People
Gehl Architects
Cities for People Workshop
Order of presentations:
David Sim Lin Skaufel
Jeff Risom Gil Penalosa
Jan Gehl
 A city full of moving objects.....or

Cities for Bicyclists =

Cities for People
David Sim
Director

A city full of faces on the streets I am going to talk about….

About  being a human being

About  how to make good places 
for human beings
for human beings

About the Copenhagen experience

About how biking fits in 
when making Cities for People

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Gehl Architects
Founded on literature and research
Urban Quality Consultants, Copenhagen

Multi-disciplinary means
Life Between Buildings Public Spaces ‐ Public Life
Equal focus on Jan Gehl Jan Gehl & Lars Gemzøe
’Hardware’ & ’Software’
New City Life 
N Cit Lif
New City Spaces
Gehl, Gemzøe, 
Jan Gehl & Lars 
Søndergaard &  
Gemzøe
Kirknæs

Our Philosophy: Our Methodology

-Empirical base

-Framework rather than plan

Focus:

-Improving Quality of Life in Cities

2
Selected project cities Cultures are different…

Cultures are different… Climates are different…    seasons change

3
But the way People inhabit and use Space is universal Quality Criteria for Space and Architecture must start with considering People

Man is a Walking Animal – Ground Speed 5 km/hour

Our senses are the basis for experiencing the environment

Our senses are very important

4
 In search of
Human scale?

“Man is man’s greatest jo

(Old Icelandic saying)

Fresh air, exercise and meeting people…

Health?
Litet, lågt och långsamt…

5
 60km/h environements
made for driving

60 km/h

5 km/h architecture: What is Urban Quality?

an environment made for

walking

Aesthetics and
design is NOT the
only thing that
matters!

•small spaces
•small signals
Bo 01
•details
Malmö
•people
Sweden

6
 • walk • Bike

Denmark as inspiration 

Bicycling in Copenhagen
Modal split – Commuting to Work in 2008
- on a citywide network of bicycle lanes

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 Why do Danes cycle?
Is it because of the environment? Is it because of financial reasons?

Copenhageners

1%     cycling save over

90.000 t CO2
annually
6%    
state that it is  state that it is 
because of the
because of the  because it is cheap
because it is cheap
environment

Copenhagen Bicycle 
Account 2006
Copenhagen Bicycle 
Account 2006

Is it part of a healthy lifestyle? Is it because it is convenient, fast and easy?

19%     61%    
state that it is  state that it is 
because of the
because of the  because it is
because it is 
exercise convenient, fast 
and easy

Copenhagen Bicycle 
Account 2006
Copenhagen Bicycle 
Account 2006

8
 Denmark has established a strong bicycling tradition
Why do Copenhageners cycle?

61%  Easy, fast & convenient
19% E
19%  Exercise 
i
6%    Financial reasons
1%    The environment
Copenhagen Bicycle Account 2006

The Danish bicycling culture has always defined Or has it?

Copenhagen as a city for cyclists Slide 9

9
 From car invasion
Copenhagen ‐ Process

A gradual process with focus on establishing

a pedestrian- and public space network

PS PS PS PS
PL PL PL PL
1968 1985 1995 2005
Cph PSPL New City Life
1996 2006

From car invasion

....to people places

“Strøget” before 1962

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 Nyhavn - before ……and after 1980

80.000 people per 24 hours in the summer

“Strøget” to day

Strædet - before Strædet - before …..and after 1992

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Development of car‐free squares and  Copenhagen – stationary activity
pedestrian/cycle friendly streets  1968 ‐ 2005 From 1968 to 1995:
Almost 4 times more space and almost 4 times more activity

In 1962 m2 pedestrian areas 1968 1986 1995

The first pedestrian
promenade is introduced

By 1973
Car-free street network
is developed

1973-2005
In all 22 squares that were
once parking lots are
today places for people 12 m2/activity 14 m2/activity 13 m2/activity

The Copenhagen Experience proves

that improved conditions mean that
more people spend more time in the
city

Better conditions for bicycling = more bicyclists

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The Key to Danish Cycling Success lies in: THE 4 C’S
CONSISTENT

CONSISTENT
Simple and user
friendly:
CONNECTED
Main principles:
Pedestrians + bicyclists
Parked cars + traffic lanes
CONTINUOUS

COMFORTABLE

CONSISTENT CONNECTED
Placed where demand is highest – where people want to be!

Lanes and tracks are

always on the right-
hand side

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CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS
Integrated with other transport modes
Sidewalks and biketracks aren’t interupted at sidestreets

COMFORTABLE

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COMFORTABLE Bicycling has doubled in the last 10 years

More bicycles than cars

Inner city morning peak

Modal split – Commuting to Work in 2008 The benefits of cycling for sustainability are
widely known and accepted

2010
38%
SUSTAINABILITY

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 In terms of access and mobility In terms of zero emission transport

SOCIAL SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL

SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY

In terms of affordable, private mobility A city for cyclists is a sustainable city

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL

SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY

ECONOMIC ECONOMIC

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 cycling

Der er stor forskel på livet og karakteren i de forskellige typer gader

Nothing new!

cycling walking cycling walking

Public
transport

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Cycling Walking Cycling Walking

Public Public Public

t
transport
t Public transport space
space
= Cities for People!

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I will address:

1.What is a good bicycle city?=Toolbox content

2 Wh is
2.What i a good
d bicycle
bi l toolbox,
lb and
d how
h can a
toolbox improve cities for bicycles?
3. Ex. Mexico City bicycle toolbox

Bicycle toolbox
Lin Skaufel

Sebastian lycra

1. What characterizes the good bicycle cities?

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Climates are different…

Sebastian alle

Copenhagen

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What characterizes the good bicycle cities?
Copenhagen
Strong synergy between culture and
infrastructure

Culture- software

Infrastructure- hardware

E.g. Copenhagen E.g. Copenhagen
Campaigns for safety‐ “Take care of blind angles” Campaigns for safety– “preventing car door accidents”

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Copenhagen

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E.g. Copenhagen‐ Bicycles on metro What characterizes the good bicycle cities?

Strong synergy between “providers” and users

• Municipality
Municipality

Users

Bicycle account

Public  Bicycles
transport

cars

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What characterizes the good bicycle cities?

E.g. Copenhagen
Strong synergy between what you build and what Improving Infrastructure‐ “head‐start bicyclists”
you learn

What characterizes the good bicycle cities? Copenhagen new modal-split goal

Strong mindset (time?) - New tools needed

Copenhagen (turtle plan),

has never had a masterplan but, slowly grown (40
years) as a bicycle city trough a mindset for
cycling
38% 50% bicycle

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Green wave for bicycles
Get a free breakfast! 
On selected main streets once a year

New bridges Pilot projects

Increased permeability for pedestrians and bicyclists Nørrebrogade- extended bicycle path

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Accommodating new users New and improved city bicycles

Paris: 2001-07: Cycling up 94% while car traffic down 20%*1 Bogota: Cycling increased 268% between 2000-2007 *1.

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Berlin: Cycling increased 100% between 1997-2007*1 A toolbox can be a kit based on knowledge, inspiration,
research and best practice from the successfull bicycle cities..

Paris: 2001-07:

Cycling up 94% while car traffic down 20%

Copenhagen: all ages bicycle

Bogota: 2000‐2007
100%  
Cycling increased  268%  Berlin: 1997‐2007 Cycling  increased 

A toolbox can be a kit based on knowledge,

2. What
2 What is a good
a good bicycle toolbox, and
toolbox and how can a 
a inspiration, research and best practice from
toolbox improve cities for bicycles? the successful bicycle cities..

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A toolbox contains tools to achieve your goals and

visions

VISION/GOALS
WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE
..operationalized to local conditions and
challenges.
STRATEGIES/INITIATIVES
HOW YOU CHOOSE TO ACHIEVE IT

TOOLS
How to make it operational‐ WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? 
HOW DOES IT WORK?

Toolbox- content Toolbox- content

INSPIRATION/ LEGISLATIVE/
BEST PRACTICE MANDATORY

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Toolbox: research Toolbox: best practice

Toolbox: principles Toolbox

Different challenges needs different tools

1% 10%
3-5% 15%

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Toolbox The toolbox can be a pedagogical tool to

Must have and nice to have‐ priority of needs creating an approach….

..limiting confusion... ...increasing safety..

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.....and creating an approach that everybody can ....that ensures everything is thought of and
agree upon- a future-proof coherent system… included to limit poor or ad-hoc solutions.

• Lærke alle enige • Bilde på dette?

Growing a bicycle city in one direction- over

time

3. Ex. Mexico City bicycle toolbox

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Dangerous!
Mexico City 26 pedestrians killed on average every day in Downtown

Flat!
Good climate!
Many short trips!

Dangerous!
Unhealthy!
Slow!

Slow!
Unhealthy! Traffic jams
…obesity and air polution – but the bicycle is the fastest form of transportation during rush hour

”… Mexico is the second‐fattest ”… spending a day in Mexico City is 

nation after U.S.” the equivalent of smoking over 40 
cigarettes a day, without actually
taking a drag”

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More than a bicycle project…

…bicycle infrastructe as a catalyst for improving

city quality

One bicycle
y system
y for the whole cityy

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Based on quality
Integrated!
Safe!
Comfortable!
Enjoyable!

Generated out of the overall 
visions for Mexico City

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Content has two parts:

Software & Hardware
(Culture + infrastructure)

Customised
for the different users

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A safe street A safe crossing

Physical separation of cars and bicycles Street markings / levels

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Safe bicycle parking

A safe and convenient location

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Improving mobility in NYC

The Insider Story Contents for this session

1. Insight into the NYC process

2. Holistic approach
– Integrated with the public realm
– Across city departments
– Public and private sectors
3. Using temporary pilot projects
– Together with empirical data
– Efficient and affordable implementation
Jeff Risom – To inspire and as a catalyst for change
Associate Gehl Architects
MSc City Design and Social Science

New York City’s incredible list of accomplishments … and ongoing work

New York City New York City
In June 2009, DOT completed 200 miles of bike lanes in all  DOT plans are to install 50 lane miles each year until the 
five boroughs in just three years.  (doubling the citywide  citywide bicycle network is complete
on‐street bike network while reshaping the city’s streets 
to make them safer for users) Overall goal: double bicycle commuting between 2007 
and 2015, triple it by 2020
Of this: 4.9 miles of bike paths physically separated from 
car traffic lanes, 20 sheltered bike parking structures, and
car traffic lanes, 20 sheltered bike parking structures, and  Goal of 1,800 bike lane miles by the year 2030
Goal of 1,800 bike lane miles by the year 2030
3,100 bike racks 

These projects led to more than 45% growth in commuter 
cycling in that time (3 years)

.  

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Times Square Times Square
‐ before  ‐ after 

9th Ave. July 07 

9th Ave. Sept.07

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9th Avenue, Manhattan

Pilot Projects as a means to a greater ends 
– to improve the process

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Out‐reach and consultations were across disciplines and 
departments 

‐ both across city agencies

Pilot Projects –
Build Political Base Quick Wins Permanent Projects
Guaranteed Success

Change of Mindset

Consult
Stake‐ ‐ and in the community
holders

Gehl survey, lectures , visits             support Advocacy Private  Neighborhood Interest Additional

groups Business Gov’t organizations groups
Justification Operationalizing – ensure
Vision and strategy that change endures and 
for change adapts

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Toward a holistically conceived public realm –
based on Quality for People! This process is about balancing interests and needs

Designing 
objects

Making places
(creating 
opportunities 
for place to 
flourish)

Test the waters – the first pilots Test the waters – the first pilots

Small scale
Summer 2006 In ‘forgotten’ city spaces
Private sector initiated
Supported by Dept. Of Transport

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Test the waters – the first pilots Use publications to frame the argument

Watch and see
•What are the problems? And successes? Vision – PlaNYC
•Who uses the spaces?

Launched ’Earth Day’

April 22, 2007

The second pilots Toward a healthy, vibrant, safe, attractive, sustainable New York City
Lessons learned from first projects
August 2007

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A strategy for creating real change Gehl Architects are engaged

through a series of pilot projects

Unbalanced distribution of space

All were illegally
parked

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Seeing places with fresh eyes Quantifying impressions

Existing painted
cycle lanes were
not performing
well

Tough streets for bicycling Tough streets for bicycling

In conflict with other traffic modes Bicycle network is incomplete Poor access for bicyclists Bicycle network is unclear

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Improve the bicycling infrastructure

Tough streets for bicycling and experience

Introduce bicycling 
infrastructure as a 
important step towards a 
sustainable and healthy 
city lifestyle.
i

Poor comfort High risk for accidents

New York is the perfect City for cycling New York is the perfect City for cycling

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Opportunities to experience potential first‐hand

Test, Refine, Adjust, Re‐launch

2008 – 2009 –
first Summer Streets Revised Route

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DOT used in‐house staff and recycled materials and resources to deliver the project 
quickly and efficiently 
• Estimated cost $1.5 million

DOT has implemented 200 miles of Bicycle lanes over the last 2 years

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9th Avenue, Manhattan

8th Avenue, Manhattan

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Broadway scheme

Access is allowed but
through traffic is prohibited

And space is reclaimed at the 

Pearls on a String for Broadway

The pilots focused on areas where success was most likely –
People cycled already and traffic was minimal

Columbus Circle ‐ before  Columbus Circle ‐ after 

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Madison Square  Nov. 2008

Broadway, Manhattan

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Herald Square ‐ before

And where people already choose to spend time What began with the ‘pearls’ …

spread out to the ‘strings’ as well

Herald Square ‐ after 

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The Third Generartion of Pilot Projects place the bicycle lane next to parked cars

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The design is not perfect... But it is a start The design is not perfect... But it is a start

Gehl Architects · Urban Quality Consultants · Gl. Kongevej 1, 4.tv · 1610 Copenhagen V · Denmark · www.gehlarchitects.dk Gehl Architects · Urban Quality Consultants · Gl. Kongevej 1, 4.tv · 1610 Copenhagen V · Denmark · www.gehlarchitects.dk

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And the new space is appreciated by other user groups Inviting for new users and uses

Gehl Architects · Urban Quality Consultants · Gl. Kongevej 1, 4.tv · 1610 Copenhagen V · Denmark · www.gehlarchitects.dk

And the new space is appreciated by other user groups

Gehl Architects · Urban Quality Consultants · Gl. Kongevej 1, 4.tv · 1610 Copenhagen V · Denmark · www.gehlarchitects.dk

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Partnerships and publicity

New public seating integrated with bicycle parking

– on previously disused
subway vents

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Invitations to soak in the atmosphere

Ian Mahaffy and Maarten De Greeve

Gehl Architects · Urban Quality Consultants · Gl. Kongevej 1, 4.tv · 1610 Copenhagen V · Denmark · www.gehlarchitects.dk

Inviting a new user group… A place more accessible for all

…locals
Gehl Architects · Urban Quality Consultants · Gl. Kongevej 1, 4.tv · 1610 Copenhagen V · Denmark · www.gehlarchitects.dk

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People don’t change their behavior when you tell them to;

People first

Life Space Buildings

Copenhagen Modal Split
61% of those who bike do so out of convenience

People change when the context compels them to

Questions for discussion
The role of cycling in creating cities for people

1. How do we promote a sense of urgency to speed up the 
process of changing cycling culture?

2. How can we encourage people that don’t cycle to cycle?

3. How can we promote intermodal behavior to encourage 
cycling as part of transport trips?

Please consider strategies for both
‘SOFTWARE’ as well as ‘HARDWARE’

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Those were the days when architects were

CITIES FOR PEOPLE big, and people were quite smal....

Graduated as
Architect

JAN GEHL, PROFESSOR, DR. LITT.

FOUNDING PARTNER: GEHL ARCHITECTS
1960 The worst period in City Planning ever!
URBAN QUALITY CONSULTANTS, COPENHAGEN

From 1955….
Carinvasion

1960.. Perth, West Australia Elsinore, Denmark

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All Cities have Traffic &
Planning Departments and
perfect statistics concerning
traffic and planning issues
*
The Buildings & the Traffic is
very visible and everpresent
in the planning proces
Do you know of any City which have a
People department, a Departments for
pedestrians and public life?
Hardly any City have statistics and data
concerning the people who use the city
*
The people in the City tends to be very
invisible and poorly represented in the
planning proces

Jane Jacobs 4 ”Life Between

Buildings”
1st edition 1971

1961 decades
Published in
many versions
20 languages

of
research ”New City
Spaces” - 2001
Spaces 00

”Public Spaces
Public Life
- 1996

”New City Life” -

2006

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Making People Visible

Major City Improvement Projects:

Copenhagen Stockholm
London Riga
Edinburgh Rotterdam
Oslo Zürich

Reykjavik

Seattle
San Fransisco
x New York

Mexico City

Amman
Muscat
Brisbane
Sydney
Perth Melbourne
Cape Town Adelaide
Previous Projects
Hobart
Wellington
Current Projects Auckland
Comming Projects Christchurch

GEHL--Architects, Urban Quality Consultants, Den

GEHL

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A Presentation with 3 Tales:

* The Human Dimension
”The Client”

* New Towns/
New Developements

* Cities/City Planning

1. Children always
play where the
activity and life is

THE HUMAN DIMENSION

- introducing ”the Client”

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People watching People watching

- the number one attraction in any city - the number one attraction in any city

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IN SEARCH OF A HUMAN SCALE

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5 km/hour Architecture

THE CLIENT: •small spaces

A slow, linear, horizontal, •small signals

•details
max 5 km/h walking creature •people
•close up´s + distant views

60 km/hour Architecture
•large spaces
•huge signals
•no details
•no people

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5 km/hour 100 km/hour Architecture

Architecture Dubai
Venice, Italy

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Prerequisities for Planning:

• Human Body
• Human Movements
• Human Senses

2.
• Human Interaction
• Human Behaviour

CITIES FOR PEOPLE AS

DESIGN CHALLENGE
( New Developement / New Towns)
Almeere, New Town, Holland. 100.000 Inh (1975-2000)

”THE BRASILIA SYNDROME”!

(City Planning from 5.000 meter above the ground )

Brasilia ((1955-
(1955- )

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Brasilia -The people scale is completely neglected

Welcome to Kenzo Tange & Singapore

Shanghai, China
Downtown, Dubai

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Downtown, Dubai
Dubai

”Welcome to the ”New” London”

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”Welcome ?”

Old Housing area (1905)

Copenhagen, Denmark

Uninteresting City
Plan Scale

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Turning the traditional design process upside down

First LIFE

-then SPACE

But a realy nice

and inviting -then BUILDINGS
People Scale

The secret: A public Space Plan as the first step

in the planning process

Sibelius Park, Residential district, Copenhagen

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Bo01,
Residential district,
Malmö, Sweden,
2001

Rieselfeld & Vauban,

New Towns Freiburg

Wanted:
3. THE CITIES - Lively City
New City
- Attractive City -
Spaces Safe City -
Jan Gehl &
Sustainable City -
Lars Gemzøe Healthy City
Needed:
ONE STONE
STONE--
FIVE BIRDS
POLICY

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Lively City Attractive City

Safe city Sustainable City

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Healthy City Suggestion for simple

ONE STONE/FIVE BIRDS
Sustainability Policy
”In tthiss City
C ty everything
e e yt g will be do
done
e
to invite people to walk and bicycle
as much as possible in the course
of their daily day doings”
”Houston -the City with the
fattest people of the World”

Copenhagen The development of pedestrian areas in the city from

From traffic place to people place 1962…….7 times more People Space!

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Many more People are walking in the city 4 times more people
spend time in the city

Copenhagen: New Public Life Policy 2009:

”WORLDS FINEST CITY FOR PEOPLE”

In only 40 years the good season has been

extended from 2 to 10 months

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Official City Poster

September 2007

Copenhagen
The No 1 Bicycle
City in the World

Goals for 2015:

* 50% of all comuting

on bicycles
* Bicycle Accidents to

Melbourne, - 3 mio. Inh.

The Age c. 1980

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MELBOURNE City Center 1994

1994--2004

Pedestrian traffic weekdays daytime: +40%

Pedestrian traffic evening: +100 %
Stationary activities +200-
+200-300%

Melburne -but when it comes to street life and ambience it

-looks like any city in the new World has by now a distinct touch of -say
say-- Paris

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Retail

Residential

Office Vacancies

Employment

Bars and Pubs

A CITY GOOD AT PARTIES, OLYMPICS and SUMMITS….

Copenhagen Melbourne oct 07

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….. BUT NOT SO GLORIOUS FOR THE EVERYDAY LIFE Main Street in Sydney to be transformed
to Pedestrians, Bicycles and Light Rail

Present situation George St. After conversion

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Copenhagen Style
Bicycle Lanes (on
Copenhagen Corner)
Sydney, Oct.2008

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WELCOME TO THE 21st CENTURY

NYC Dept. of Transp. w/

Gehl Architects, Published:
13 nov 2008

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”the Client”

PLEASE
Never forget who
we are working for! ”CITIES FOR PEOPLE
The forgotten dimension

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