#2 of 6 services
Master Planning Frameworks
Services
Gehl is an urban design practice focused on 'Making Cities for People’. We use co-creation to guide the Masterplanning Framework process. We value human scale, mixed neighborhoods, public spaces, adaptability and resilience.
By putting people first, both the product and the process of a masterplan are done in a different way. Life
More than mixed use Good masterplans are not just a housing estate, or a business park, or campus, or shopping mall, but a vibrant neighbourhood that delivers a level of mixed use, with places that accommodate a wider range of different activities, functions, spaces, people, building typologies, dimensions, tenures, and range of affordability.
Space Public spaces at the heart Public spaces are the drivers of social interactions, local economy, connectivity, mobility and a creation of the culture and memory of a place.
Buildings Consideration for the human scale We care about specific, small details in scale and detailing of the buildings, active ground floors, edge zones, number of households per stair, and number of doors to a street, as well as the overall massing and density of developments. These are all important for creating a human scale or a sense of community.
Life
Space
Buildings
Gehl embraces sustainability as a practice with public life and public space at the heart. Social sustainability Working to support local culture, identity, history of place, as well as working with communities.
Environmental sustainability Working to reduce energy use, optimize and integrate infrastructure and mobility systems, integrate climate adaptation solutions and ensure optimal microclimate for public life.
Economic sustainability Working to support a framework that allows for plans to be highly flexible and adaptive to change over time as cities, places and communities are ever changing and relying on networks and transactions between people.
Photo: Torben Eskerod
A Masterplanning Journey Scoping workshop/ Site visit
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Discovery
Vision
Public life — analysis
Life
Space
Buildings
Understanding how people move and spend time on the site and its surroundings.
Public life & public space — programming Defining a shared vision for the site and its public spaces - what is the identity, functions, uses and connections to the surroundings?
Public space — quality analysis Understanding the qualities and potentials of the existing site and surroundings - history, mobility, walkability, connections, climate.
Existing buildings & context analysis
Buildings & functions
Understanding the quality of existing buildings on site and in the surroundings edges, facades, lighting, heritage, functions, density.
Defining a shared vision for buildings and functions - what is the density, functions, typologies? How do we deal with parking?
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Strategic framework
Concept design & guidelines
Ongoing advisory
Workshops / engagement
Advice implementation
Collaborating and engaging with stakeholders at all levels throughout the process.
Public space concept design
Other Gehl services
Public space framework
Ensuring a successful implementation through the coordination of stakeholders, the assurance of quality and the provision of feedback throughout the project phasing.
Early activation pilots
Developing strategies for public spaces, their layout, connections, character, activities, microclimate, phasing, street hierarchy, sustainability & accessibility.
Further developing design concepts for key public spaces on site - materials, security, access, operations, street design, topography.
Building framework
Building guidelines
Project communication
Developing strategies for buildings and volumes - density, phasing, access, parking, microclimate, compliance with local requirements.
Further developing guidelines for buildings - facades, typologies, space planning, sustainability, materials, parking, edges.
Communicating the project to media, new stakeholders, through advertising campaigns.
Public realm — Guidelines or detailed design Landscape implementation
Masterplanning projects Gehl has worked in over 250 cities around the world. Our services span across all scales, from strategic visions to design and implementation. Our clients range from mayors, city administrators, NGO’s, developers, private and public organizations.
Gehl projects
Completing the heart of Lille St. Sauveur —In 2013, Gehl together with an extensive local team of technical experts, won the international competition to lead the development and transformation of a former goods station in central Lille. The 57-acre site is to become a new neighborhood of 5,000 inhabitants, and a city district with work places, shops, education, and cultural and sports facilities. This project brings the Gehl approach to an already dynamic city by weaving a new piece of fabric into the city. Gehl developed a robust Masterplanning Framework that takes into account its surroundings. The goal of the project is to create a best practice example of excellent urban living conditions, and to provide quality housing and a joyful everyday life for its inhabitants and users. It is also to provide great public spaces with activities for all ages, as well as links to the surrounding neighborhoods that are different in character and meet varied demographic profiles. The plan envisions a neighborhood of perimeter blocks with private courtyards and vibrant public spaces with limited access for cars. An ecological corridor through the residential area connects a new lush park with the big tree axes in Lille.
Project size 57 acre / 230,000 m2 Client Lille Metropole Communatute Urbaine, Ville de Lille, SPL Euralille Team Gehl (team lead), Claire Schorter architecture & urbanisme, MA-GEO bet genie urbain, Slap paysage, Béal & Blanckaert Architects, Agence ON conception lumière, Artelia Bet ville et transport, Tribu et environnement
Vision To live in Saint Sauveur is a project of ‘life’!
! Products • Plan Guide • Public Space Public Life Study (PSPL) • A Public Space Programming Guide • A Local Plan
Our process 2013 + 2014 Gehl + team wins the City led competition and works on the Plan Guide, a document explaining the intention and qualities of the project based on the competition brief.
S The apartment Quality housing
M The building Knowing your neighbor
L The block
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A shared community
XL The quarter A lively neighborhood
2016 A PSPL is conducted on site. A new set of documents are produced to further describe the programming and design of the public spaces and perimeter blocks which work as a base for legal documents. 2017 Integration of an Olympic swimming hall into the plan, development of the Saint-So Bazaar, technical studies, as well as further development of legal documents. 2018-2025 The site is opened to the public with co-created temporary activities and pilot projects. The 1st phase of construction including an Olympic swimming hall, a sports hall, and a co-working office in Saint-So Bazaar and the first 9 perimeter blocks of “Saint-So”. 2030 End of the 2nd phase of construction where the remaining perimeter blocks are implemented.
↑ A layering of scales Imagine the conditions of "neighbor" in the manner of a Matryoshka doll, the perimeter blocks are responding to the inhabitant at all scales. → The proximity to the Olympic swimming hall and the link of three different neighborhoods, the park 'Le Parc de la Vallée' will become a symbol for Lille. The urban dimension influences the programming and use of the public space. At a metropolitan scale, the park is part of the larger strategy of ecological corridors revitalizing urban spaces.
Saint Sauveur/Lille Masterplan Key points 1. Le Parc de la VallÊe A park with existing vegetation, topography and post-rail industry in combination with programming for different age groups and levels of engagement. The park has evolved from an intimate garden to a future destination for leisure. 2. A special location for a special program During the competition, the team reserved the southeast section of the site for future development due to its prominent address and location in Lille. In 2017, it was revealed as the new Olympic Swimming hall, making the district a regional destination. A series of office blocks meet the main street to the south and create a safe front entrance to the swimming hall as well as to the park. 3. Le Chemin de Fer It is a pedestrian street that crosses the Nordic Isles from east to west. Complementary to the vegetative atmosphere of the Chemin Vert, the street offers a continuous mineral surface that invites informal play, like rollerblading, cycling, scooter, hop-scotch, etc. Artefacts of the rail yard and refitting of rail tracks are important markers for the identity of the street. 4. Le Chemin Vert The southern residential pedestrian path will become a link in the ecological corridors of Lille, connecting the rural landscape in the east with city green areas via the neighboring park and the Grand boulevards of Lille. The street will be the meeting point for play and recreation for residents. 5. Le Cours The highly active main square of Saint-So is designed to cater to different events and programs throughout the year. Principles of attracting and inviting different user groups based on seasonal and climatic constraints helps the space adapt to the wishes of users through a variety of programs and spaces in different scales. 6. Les Halles The development of the area around the historical train halls, begins with the existing life around the bistro and the cultural destination of La Gare Saint Sauveur. 7. Linking to the surrounding Connecting streets will be upgraded and better pedestrian conditions created to invite the surrounding neighborhoods to the new district and its public spaces. 8. Le Saint-So Bazaar Starting as a proposal in the competition phase, the 4000m² existing train hall, will host spaces for coworking, manufacturing and design, allowing for new ways of producing and selling products in an urban context.
Parc JB Lebas
Les Halles
Le Cours
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Gare St Sauveur
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Le Cours Q
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Linking to the surroundings
Le Saint-So Bazaar
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Le Cours Flex Zone
Quest
Le Cours Est
Le Parc de la VallĂŠe
1 3 Le Chemin de Fer
4 Le Chemin de Vert
A special location for a special program
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Gehl projects
Building a complete neighborhood on San Francisco’s waterfront San Francisco — India Basin is one of the last undeveloped waterfront parcels in the San Francisco Bay’s southeast sector. When completed, the neighborhood will offer housing and daily amenities, thriving in unison with a new public park. The team’s vision is to transform the vacant 27-acre waterfront brownfield site, into a dynamic mixed-use urban village and a new public park using a people first approach. Gehl was lead for the public realm approach for the masterplan through urban design, advisory services and client representation. Our focus began with site layout and expanded to make public life the forefront of urban design decisions relating to streets, plazas, courtyards, ground-floor building frontages and massing. The site’s heart is a market plaza spilling onto a green space with a network of trails connecting the site to the water. The market is also the site’s core primary retail street and provides a regional destination for shopping and public life. The urban village includes a diverse range of housing types, from walk-up townhomes lining a wild open space to efficient condominium and apartment-style buildings fronting a central public square. Cultural and market amenities are set at the water to frame views and to encourage public life on the waterfront. Throughout the design process, Gehl has worked with the team to emphasize the relationship between the buildings and their adjacent open spaces, to create a place where public life can thrive.
Project size 27 acres / 110,000 m2 Client Build Inc. Collaborators The masterplan design is being led by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in collaboration with Bionic Landscape Architects and Gehl.
Vision Basic amenities should be within an easy walk from anywhere on the site; amenities will fill in as the community matures into a complete neighborhood.
Products • Vision Plan • Masterplan • Environmental Evaluation Application • Transportation Action Plan • Design Standards and Guidelines
→ As a waterfront site, India Basin is a rarity in San Francisco. Providing an active, urban waterfront edge is a great opportunity to bring access to the water, make a great amenity for the community, and set a precedent for the city. Illustrations provided by Build Inc.
Shoreline India basin Shoreline park
Big green Perched Beach
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Shared way
Neighborhood Commercial Street
↑ Through innovative approaches to EVA requirements, all roadways, from shared streets to neighborhood commercial corridors, are designed to invite lively street life. The double-lined retail corridor is given wide sidewalks and buffered bike lanes, while shared ways are designed to prioritize pedestrian and local neighborhood use.
→ One of the big stairways is a paseo through the development. These paseos connect pedestrians from Innes down to the retail street and through to the water Illustrations provided by Build Inc.
India Basin Design Standards and Guidelines 02 Public Realm
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Gehl projects
From industrial site to historic landmark Lövholmen, Stockholm — In 2014, Gehl was hired by the City of Stockholm and the property owners of the site to join a long-term process to develop a Structural Plan for Lövholmen. The Structural Plan is a tool to ensure quality and to define critical challenges regarding the neighbourhood scale, volumes, activities, programs, micro-climate, and traffic. Lövholmen is a 7ha site, planned to be a dense new district in central Stockholm, offering 2000 residential units. The site has a huge potential for both recreation and high-quality city life. The site itself is owned by five different stakeholders with whom Gehl and the Planning Department worked with to create a plan that suited each stakeholder’s needs, while maintaining the overall balance of quality, human scale and density. Gehl facilitated a series of vision workshops with the city, land owners, and developers where a series of principles were identified and displayed throughout the masterplan. The stakeholders identified principles such as a unique industrial identity, unified structure, wellconnected, excellent conditions for multi-modal transit, as well as high density balanced by high quality, human scale public spaces. Based on the principles developed, the Structural Plan has been successful in protecting and expanding the potential of each developer’s site, thereby creating specific value for each in their respective needs.
Project size 7 ha site / 700,000 m2 Client Stockholms Stad Developers Skanska, JM, Järntorget, Veidekke, Besqab
Vision The vision for Lövholmen defined the overall objectives for the area including its volumes, public spaces and character. 1. Identified as a unique sustainable industrial district rich with history 2. Good connections 3. Variation in activities, functions, services and provide year-round use 4. Good urban spaces, human scale and opportunities to explore 5. Active ground floors, details, and beautiful buildings 6. Good conditions for walking, cycling and public transport
Product • Structural Plan The developers and the city said that the process helped them to understand the consequences of early planning decisions, while saving money and time by creating a holistic plan. This in turn helped to ensure that for instance issues around micro-climate, traffic, scale, functions and services in the area were resolved much earlier than in a typical process.
Visualization of the quay to the west.
Shared space – pedestrian speed Pedestrians /bicycle zone
Main street – Shared space
Shared area – pedestrian area with access for renovation/deliveries
A connected street network
Despite being a former industrial area, only 2,5 km from the Stockholm central station, Lövholmen has excellent connections to public transport, bike lanes, and waterways within the city. The site sits between the inner city and green suburban areas. Gehl’s goal was to optimize a distribution of street networks and high quality public spaces, while making a coherent plan.
Main street: bicycle lanes, flex zone
Main access road (Lövholmsvägen)
Potential pedestrian zone through neighborhood
← Lövholmen — Neighboring streets. The alley ways present mystery and a sense of discovery beyond every corner. The area will provide small pocket parks, active ground floors, both soft and hard building edges, and a mix of new and old buildings. → The Loop — This class street boulevard is an organizing node that embraces the existing cultural and historical buildings. It is classic and lively with room for cars and bikes, adequate parking, sidewalks, and places to sit and watch people or have a cup of coffee. ↓ The eastern part of the quay consists of pinewood piers and trees. The space at the water's edge takes advantage of the historically industrial and marine elements, while the main street embraces the existing culturalhistorical buildings that connect to the water. It's a classic and lively street with places to sit, watch people or drink a cup of coffee.
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Urban / hard residential edge zone
Quayside - existing
Green residential edge zone
Park area (which can be fenced)
Commercial edge zone
Driving area in shared space / pedestrian-priority area
Preschool area in courtyard
Entrance
Roof terrace
Vehicle entrance to parking garage Pedestrian-priority streets Pedestrian area w. exposed aggregate concrete Wooden jetty Self-compacted gravel Driving surface / permeable Green permeable surface
Courtyard Technical / municipal area Proposed new trees Trees of special character Existing trees Furniture and benches Play area Street lighting and bollards Bicycle parking
Lövholmen Masterplan Key points 1. A new green and urban connection – Strengthen Lövholmsvägen as an urban street that connects to the surroundings – Establish missing green/blue links between accessible waterfronts by providing new and upgraded green spaces. 2. A strong and unified identity for Lövholmen – A human scale waterfront – the continuous facade with a sensible scale creates cohesive waterfront identity – The varied ways of moving through the waterfront spaces add a new layer to the site context and history. 3. Small-scale buildings add character – Smaller units add character and variation, and allow breaks in the facade for better views and sunlight conditions. 4. A rich existing structure and history – Use and expand the existing street grids & directions on site – Develop within the existing plot lines and distribute smaller public spaces throughout the district.
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5. Use the topography as an asset LEGEND – Organize movement and structure around the hill at the center of the site. 6. An integral part of Liljeholmen – Strengthen and refine the contextually sensitive human scale to provide good urban spaces and streets - make Lövholmen dense, connected and walkable. 7. A good microclimate — human scale buildings – Classic perimeter blocks provide a great streetscape with well-defined facades as well as semi-private and private spaces for residents in the courtyard. The perimeter block is very malleable, it can respond to sun and shade conditions and adapt to provide better views for residents.
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8. A good microclimate — a sunny waterfront – Low and dense perimeter blocks allow areas of direct and reflected sunlight throughout the afternoon and into the evening. 9. A diversity of neighborhood qualities – Provide contrasting and new quality spaces in all neighborhoods with good conditions for sunlight, views, proximity to greenery and active areas.
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Gehl projects
A thriving public life in Valby Maskinfabrik Valby Maskinfabrik — located in the west of Copenhagen, is an old industrial cement factory site. The site is well connected to Copenhagen’s inner city by public transportation and is near a shopping street that caters to the wider community. With quality schools and a variety of green spaces in the greater area, this site was an ideal location for development, serving a growing population of families with children. A large focus of the development has been to show how the area’s sustainable and people-first solutions will coexist with the area’s historic factory buildings. Gehl’s role was to ensure the overall cohesion and functionality of the plan. With an aim of creating the best preconditions possible for public life to thrive in this new area, Gehl sought to focus on harnessing public life by defining a clear spatial hierarchy within the neighbourhood. Project size 11ha — 1,000 apartments and 40.000 m2 of office space. Client & Developer De Forenede Ejendomsselskaber Collaborators Henning Larsen Architects, Vandkunsten Architects, Arkitema Architects, CF Møller, Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter, and Schønherr
Products • Public Space Plan and Strategy • Masterplanning Framework • Public Space Concept Design • Local Plan 'helhedsplan'
Vision The Valby Maskinfabrik starting point is planning for people. It is about giving generous and quality urban spaces and outdoor areas to invite people to stay. By offering opportunities for casual meetings, opportunities to enjoy good climate conditions, and facilities for different user groups.
Our process 2011
Construction began after a competition process
2014
Gehl began working with the project
2015
Construction of Gehl’s 1.15ha masterplan began including the public spaces
2017
Residential housing, offices and shops have been filled. In the new district the green spaces and programming are beginning to take shape
Masterplan for Valby Maskinfabrik Key points
1. An integrated part of Valby 2. More than a residential area, a mixed city quarter 3. For everyone but primarily everyday users 4. An area with many neighborhoods 5. Connections with district and diverse character 6. Meeting places – from private to public 7. A lush city quarter 8. Inviting and green edge zones 9. A good microclimate
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meeting place
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welcome square
recreation space
cantine & events
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local square
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Welcome square
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Toftegårds Plads
Fire access
Access to courtyard
Area for outdoor serving
Possible active ground floor
Furniture zone
Private front gardens Access to residential building Secondary accces to apartments
Outdoor dining
Signature trees Play area
Biike parking
Private front gardens
Shared surface
Access to acourtyard
Retained buildings Sidewalk Driving surface Car-free area: emergency access only Fire road, emergency access Active ground floors: public functions Entrance to public functions Possible access to parking and deliveries Entrance, residential
Edge zone - outdoor serving and display Staying areas Movement areas Local squares for staying and informal playing Furnishing zone: Benches, bike parking, planting Semi-private courtyard Private front gardens Private back gardens
We emphasised residential edge zones by establishing private front gardens that act as buffers between public spaces and residences, while strengthening the connection to green for residents. These edges transform otherwise less appealing ground floor residential units, into attractive family housing with qualities of villa-living in the middle of the bustling city.
Gehl projects
A liveable and sustainable Spelhaugen Spelhaugen, Bergen — Spelhaugen is situated in a valley, near some of Bergen’s most beautiful nature. The surrounding hiking trails are a destination for locals and tourists. As a former industrial site, the area is disconnected from Bergen and hosts big box stores, car parking lots, and is dominated by asphalt. Gehl was hired by local developer Angarde AS, to design a masterplan that would transform the industrial area into a mixed use, livable and sustainable neighborhood of Bergen. With a new light rail connecting Spelhaugen to Bergen City Center, the area has a great potential to develop into a vibrant, attractive and green neighborhood. Gehl has made a vision for the whole 32 ha site that focuses on a diversity of homes for 4,500 new residents, work places, and cultural and local commercial functions. Gehl also created an 8.5 ha detailed plan for the area owned specifically by Angarde. A goal of both Angarde and Gehl is to create attractive public spaces that deliver sustainable solutions through green energy and water drainage.
Before – Spelhaugen is situated in a valley, surrounded by great nature with hiking trails, and is a destination for locals and tourists. The former industrial site is disconnected from Bergen, hosting big box stores, car parking lots, and is dominated by asphalt.
Project size 32 ha site Client Angarde AS
Vision A sustainable, healthy, social and attractive eye-level environment with a variety of well-defined meeting places in a human-scale, with close connection to the surrounding nature and a the new light rail stop at the heart.
Products • Detailed Plan • Masterplan • Public Space Framework Plan
↑ Model ← Masterplan ↓ Housing — Further north of the light rail there is more local housing for families. The houses have generous edge zones that make room for activities near the dwellings, and they are close to nature, making the steep topography and nature accessible and an attractive asset to the development
The heart of the area In the center of the Spelhaugen site you find the light rail stop where residents and visitors can walk and spend time.
Gehl projects
IKEA veedel
Köln — Ikea Germany commissioned Gehl to deliver both a Masterplanning Framework and a feasibility study for a potential site, and perhaps more importantly, to provide them with a new way of working. Traditionally Ikea, like other big box stores, are surrounded by a sea of parking and isolated from urban environments. However, Ikea Germany has perceived the changing emphasis in urban development trends from isolated suburban shopping districts to people-centered urban environments. As a result of the changing tides, Ikea Germany’s goal during the feasibility study of their possible new district in Köln, Germany was to understand how to land Ikea in a new urban way within the city while staying true to their vision of creating better everyday life for people impacted by the business. Based on the great streets and squares of Poll, Kalk and Köln, Gehl’s aim was to add a new district to the city with a recognizable, high quality, locally grounded urban fabric. Buildings, blocks, streets and squares at a human scale, with attractive ground floors and good edges, creating an interesting stage for public life. Our process 2017
• Vision & programming • Public Space Plan • Massing and Capacity Study (volumes and key figures)
2018
• Feasibility study for a Masterplanning Framework
2019
• Public space design • Planning documentation & process
Project size 13 ha site Client IKEA Germany
Vision The intention of IKEA VEEDEL was to change a disconnected, car-dominated industrial area into a new meeting place for Poll, Kalk and all of Köln by filling in ‘the missing puzzle piece’ and creating a new connection to and between the surrounding areas.
Products • Vision & programming • Site analysis / Health check • Public Space Plan Scenarios • Massing and Capacity Study (volumes and key figures)
→ Ikea Veedel district was intended to be a diverse and varied city district, rather than a monofunctional retail park. A complete, living district with a mix of housing, offices, local shops, day care, education as well as hotel and leisure functions.
Towards a 'people' place
From separated units and clusters
to mixed functions and character
From a windswept 'car' place
to a smaller and pleasant 'people' place
From a 'disconnected' area
to an 'integrated' area
Masterplan Framework for a new community at An Camas Mòr, Scotland — a process involving many user groups
Photo: Stewart Grant Photography ↑ Photo: John Blaikie →
Gehl project sampling
2017 / Bringing density and community to Filton Airfield
2017 / La Pintada’s human centered approach
Client: YTL
Client: First Quantum Minerals
In collaboration with Allies and Morrison, Gehl created a masterplan along the Filton air strip for a mixeduse neighborhood of 5,000 homes. The goal was to create a series of identifiable small communities.
Gehl produced a masterplan to address the client’s goals to make La Pintada in Panama, a healthy and attractive mining town community.
2017 / A sustainable, healthy, and social district in Bergen
2017– / Mölndal
2017-18 / A lively district with beer production at the heart
Client: Angarde AS
Gehl collaborated with Next Step, Vectura fastigheter and the Municipality of Mölndal to produce a masterplanning framework for a new Life Science center positioned next to the head office of Astra Zeneca.
In Spelhaugen, Bergen, at a site connected to the new light rail, Gehl made a masterplan for a mixed used development, including sustainable mobility solutions and high quality public spaces, as well as water management.
Client: Municipality of Mölndal
STRING TOGETHER OLD AND NEW WITH A NEW PUBLIC SPACE NETWORK
Client: Ottakringer Brauerei
Gehl’s masterplan for Ottakringer, one of Austria’s largest and most urban breweries, celebrates the brewery’s unique heritage and introduces new urban functions, with a vision to create ‘one Ottakringer neighborhood’, where everything works in harmony. INTRODUCE NEW FUNCTIONS TO MAKE A 24 HOUR LIVELY NEIGHBOURHOOD
2016 / A new Civic Centre for Nordelta
2015-16 / A mixed-use and walkable Red Deer
2015 / Densifying housing in Holma
Client: Diego Moresco and Eduardo Costantini
Client: The City of Red Deer
Client: MKB, Riksbyggen and Malmö Stad
Gehl worked with the developers of Nordelta, a gated community in Argentina in the first phase of a larger framework plan to create an open and public piece of city for the new Civic Center.
Gehl created a conceptual design plan for the Riverlands Urban District site with WSP Architects, to provide guidelines to enhance the connectivity and public life in the area.
Gehl focused on upgrading public spaces and adding new housing qualities to this existing 1960s housing area of Holma. The masterplan increases the variation of housing types and apartment sizes, while creating a new public space plan.
SOBRADINHO I
2014 / Masterplan for Campus Slagelse
2014 / Harbor life in Aarhus
Client: Slagelse Kommune & Realdania
In collaboration, Gehl and BIG, developed a masterplan for the centrally located harbor area of ‘Bassin 7’ in Aarhus, focusing on the potential to increase the diversity of public life.
Client: Urbanizadora Paranoazinho
2011 / Rebuilding Christchurch
2011 / A New Town in Zambia
Client: Christchurch City Council
Client: First Quantum Minerals
The mainline rail network of Slagelse in Denmark, is the location for a new university hub. Gehl produced an urban space analysis and a new campus masterplan around the station area bringing campus functions closer to the city.
2012 / Connecting Hjärup Västerstad Jesmond Dene
d old cemetary
Shieldfield
After a series of devastating earthThe vision behind Gehl’s masterplan for quakes, Gehl conducted a compreConclusions the expansion of Hjärup, a small suburb hensive public participation process • Short walking distances between site and major city destinations city centre. in and which 106,000 ideas were collected. in•the of Sweden, to connect Shortsouth walking distances to Publicwas transport: Metro station and central railway station. Embedded in theofCity Council, Gehl • Learning, research institutions and business parks areto generally located at the outskirts the city centre. the area to surrounding destinations • Site located in between the urban city core and more suburbansynthesized character residential areas in closeinto proximity to major this input a Framework stimulate social connections, mobility, recreational destination. Plan for the city’s redevelopment. and recreation through a fine grain Client: Skanska Nya Hem
A new vibrant area is planned for a few informal satellite towns north east of Brasilia. Gehl has developed a masterplan, a series of design guidelines, and a public space network to deliver a human-scale city of 125.000 inhabitants over three decades.
Gehl developed a framework plan to ensure the quality of a new town in the north-east of Zambia. After using a robust visioning process construction commenced in 2012. A street hierarchy set out guidelines for the buildings, creating a new town typology in Zambia.
Masterplan concepts
LOCAL residential, community CITY CENTRE urban, mixed use
LOCAL residential, community Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
eas Leisure/Business
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centre 1NG as theand mainCity pedestrian connections Client: of New Castlebetween the
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2013 / Delivering a human scale for Paranoazinho
network.
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ium Bridge
Client: Kilden + Mortensen
• Strengthen existing pedestrian links through the city
learning areas, turning the city centre into the heart of
Gehl collaborated with Make Architects innovation. • Establish satellites within the city centre. and Arup innovation to masterplan a mixed-use • Establish a secondary direct recreational and cycling district focused on knowledge and route between the learning areas. innovation. The strategy was to create an environment that is both inviting and activates the buildings to spill life out into the public spaces.
2009 / Bringing sustainability to Perth’s periphery
A well integrated Science Central
• The new area should be inviting to all user groups, providing attraction to the city centre as well as neighbouring residential areas. • Urban, more dense, mixed use Perth environments(learning Client: Mirvac Group institutions, research, business, city living) are concentrated How a redevelopment 40km outside along maincan links connecting to the city centre. • More intimate residential and community of Perth becomedevelopments a CO2 neutral and facilities are primarily located towards the east and south.
overall sustainable community? Gehl developed a masterplan, public space network, and worked to secure the urban quality for this new development on the Australian west coast.
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2005-09 / Building Sustainable Communities, An Camas Mor Client: The Rothiemurchus Estate
Gehl undertook the challenge of developing a masterplan in a National Park in the Highlands of Scotland, resulting in a small-footprint village cluster that meets the needs of the community.
Gehl focus
Move closer!
By David Sim. Creative Director, Gehl For decades, urban planning has been focused on devising ways to reorganize human activity and to separate functions, so as to reduce the risk of conflict. Let’s focus instead on how these potentially conflicting aspects can be brought together and connected in a gentle framework, allowing a beneficial interaction and urban symbiosis. Dense and diverse is where people are better connected to each other and the life around them, enjoying a better quality of life every day, in a soft city.
The challenge of density The majority of the world’s population lives in an urban context, and as urban populations grow, more people find themselves living on smaller areas of land and closer to one another. As the demographics of cities evolve, density is increasing. Density is also the result of rapid urbanization. People are leaving rural life for hectic, overcrowded environments because it provides new choices of work, home, and access to education, healthcare and many other opportunities. Around the world there are unprecedented levels of migration as poverty, conflict, famine, and disaster force millions to flee their traditional homelands in search of a safer future and better quality of life. The challenge of diversity The ever-increasing pressures from population density are matched by the challenges of rapidly evolving diversity.
People’s everyday lives are growing in difference, from greater geographical and social mobility, immigration, globalization, travel and tourism, and of course, social freedom. As population growth and density continues, cities must accommodate greater diversities of people, with far more varied lifestyles. Dense cities offer quality of life We often discuss the positive relation between quality of life and greater density in the built environment. Yet does density help deliver a better quality of life? One might hazard a guess that the attraction of the city to the wealthier and better educated is the access to innumerable cultural, social, and sensory delights, specialized services, public institutions and more. But cities also offer amenities and services to the less wealthy urban populations – allowing for better access to → Aspern Seestadt, Vienna. Public Space Guidelines by Gehl.
The obstacles to a denser, more diverse urban neighbourhood raises the key question: How can we accommodate for density and diversity?
jobs, education, health care and other basic services. I think there might be an equation such as: density x diversity = the greater likelihood of proximity. The attraction of cities lies in mutual benefit: they offer reciprocal systems or arrangements, which support symbiotic relationships. There are at least three such benefits that can explain the attraction of a dense and diverse urban environment: physical proximity, common resources, and shared identities. Physical proximity Physical proximity to people and places can improve your life. Physical proximity brings you closer to decisions and discoveries, where new knowledge grows, trends start, and culture happens.
With proximity, the space of the urban environment can be translated into time, with the convenience of being able to do many things in the same day, in the same morning, or in the same hour. Having things where you are means having them when you need them. Common resources The second benefit of urban density is the large pool of common resources. Hospitals, libraries, universities, galleries, shops and supermarkets, public transport, public spaces, etc. It is simple, urban infrastructure costs per capita decrease as density increases. The more people who live in a place and use its services, the more costs fall. There are more customers, which allows for a wider range of commercial
and cultural activities to thrive. In theory, the larger the city, the larger the pool of common resources—and the greater their significance. Shared identities There is a third benefit, a sense of having something in common and a shared identity. The feeling of belonging can not only be seen as pride in one’s city, but something which is part the foundation of mental health. Local urban identity is arguably one of the positive forms of collective identity as it can bridge national, ethnic or religious identity. How to accommodate density and diversity When it comes to planning, density translates into physically closer neighbours,
Perimeter blocks Private space Shared private space Semi-public space Private facility Semi-private facility Buildings
while diversity means a greater variety of neighbours. It is always density that has received the most attention (perhaps because it is easier to measure). However, if one tries to deliver accommodation solely in terms of square metres you are unlikely to succeed. The highest-density solution might be considered best, yet, quantity is not synonymous with quality. The challenge with diversity is infinitely more complex. Diversity is open-ended and ever-changing. When we acknowledge the benefits of diversity, then we can begin designing the criteria to judge it by. When talking about density and diversity, the challenge remains of how to measure or even judge the quality. When implementing greater
density with diversity, retaining a human scale is crucial. We can start by recognizing that density can be delivered in different ways: Paris with its five- or six-story buildings is twice as dense as New York; Swedish Professor Krister Wiberg spotted that the small village of Dragør in Denmark with its one-and-a-half-story cottages had much the same density as Rosengård’s eight-and ten-story social housing (a neighbourhood of Malmö, Sweden). Comparing the density of different built forms is an interesting exercise, but it is even more important to recognize that they also perform quite differently depending on the diversity of uses and users. Embracing urban density At Gehl we support compact human scale development
and densification of cities both from a social, environmental and economic point of view. If cities and societies are to meet the Paris climate act and the UNSDGs by 2050, we need people and communities in cities and urban areas to embrace urban density in a way that ensures the worlds resources for future generations. We can make happier and livelier spaces, places and cities that also improve the environment and reduce the use of energy in a win-win situation.
Our team
We are a dynamic, talented, international team, from varying backgrounds, who share the values and ambitions of ‘making cities for people’. Gehl people are passionate about cities, people and the challenges we face as a society. That is why we develop close, long-term relationships with the people who work with us. At the start, we take the time to find the right mix of skills and disciplines to build a team that best suits the project needs and that is nimble enough to take-in and take-out the people and groups who are relevant at the different project stages. Throughout, the Gehl team uses their communication skills to help clients tell their story in a compelling and heart-felt way.
Photo: Peter Helles Eriksen
Our 6 services use a people-first approach. Gehl is an urban design consultancy offering expertise in the fields of urban design, landscape architecture, and city planning. We apply a people-first approach, utilizing empirical analysis, strategic planning and human-centered design, to empower citizens, decision makers, company leaders and organizations to create a better everyday life for all people.
Public Life Putting people first by studying, surveying, engaging and understanding public life.
Public Life
Masterplanning Frameworks Masterplanning Frameworks Valuing co-creation, the human scale, mixed neighborhoods, public spaces, and integrated mobility through the creation of masterplanning frameworks.
Urban strategy Urban Strategy Making urban strategies that help in the transition towards a more liveable city.
People Mobility PeopleFirst First Mobility Looking at people first mobility not just as the journey, but as a route towards a balanced mobility that accommodates all user groups.
People First Design
People First Design Designing attractive, diverse and networked public spaces with a relationship to the wider urban context that are driven by public life and people first design.
Process Leadership Process Leadership Bringing the outside perspective needed to facilitate process leadership through creative and facilitative processes with clients in leadership positions.
Notes
People First Approach Gehl brings several decades of experience working with cities and engaging people. Since 2000, when Gehl was established as an urban design practice, we have been committed to balancing idealism with pragmatism to ensure our work has the greatest impact in 'making cities for people'!
gehlpeople.com