Chapter1.Introduction

1.1Aim

This research seeks to examine and develop a deeper understanding of the role of human scale architecture and healthy urban planning on public health and wellbeing. With a focus specifically on the Danish city of Copenhagen, a location deemed ‘The Most Liveable City' by the Monocle Liveability Index in 2021, the research will investigate the history and theory behind 2 aspects of healthy urban planning, and will also explore current interventions and ‘lived’ experience.

1.2Objectives

The research encompasses:

1. An examination of the post-war (WWII) history of healthy urban planning in Copenhagen

2. An exploration of selected aspects of healthy urban planning, chosen in line with the guiding principles policies of the World Health Organization European Healthy Cities Network (WHO EHCN). This will also include the study and analysis of 3 of the city’s current urban planning interventions

3. The final part of the research, a survey of students living and studying in Copenhagen, seeks to elicit views on the ‘lived experience’ and whether they perceive a benefit to their health and wellbeing when considering some aspects of the healthy urban planning and human scale in Copenhagen

1.3HumanScale

“One of the most important items for making good habitats for homosapiens, that is scale, 3 people scale.”

Jan Gehl (2015)

The Danish architect and urban design consultant Jan Gehl (born 1936) has spent much of his professional life researching and promoting the virtues of designing public spaces which are suited to the human scale. In partnership with psychologists, his work has focused on understanding the aspects which make an urban environment a healthy and happy place to live and socialise. Challenging modernist architecture’s drive to design city buildings and landscapes on an ever larger scale, he has instead urged consideration of “the most important scale, the people scale, the city at eye level and at 5km/hour”.

His mission has been to encourage architects and urban planners to, amongst other things, think about the cityscape from the point of view of the human eye and experience, reorient urban design focus from the car to pedestrians and cyclists, and to consider the importance of green space and public spaces for socialising. His studies have inspired change in cityscapes worldwide, including New York, Melbourne, Christchurch, London, Moscow, Copenhagen, Chongqing and Dhaka, with recognition of the importance of public squares for social interaction, and pedestrian and cyclist-friendly infrastructure - all with a view to improving the habitat, health and wellbeing of the citizens. The Gehl Institute continues to develop and embed Ghel’s research and works in partnerships with governments and organisations globally, including the World Health Organisation European Region (WHO European Region), to improve the cities we all live in.

1.4HealthyUrbanPlanning

Consideration of human scale is an essential component of the healthy urban planning process, which also seeks to maximise the health and well being of a city’s residents through thoughtful and considered planning. Healthy urban planning means designing for people with consideration of the population's needs, which in terms of influencing public health includes factors such as physical activity opportunities, traffic accident risk, pollution exposure, health service access, mental health aspects, and affordability.

1.5WorldHealthOrganisation(WHO)HealthyCities

In parallel with Gehl’s work focused on the built environment, there is wider worldwide interest and action to elevate citizen health and wellbeing. WHO Healthy Cities is a global movement which aims to maximise the priority city governments assign to health, in terms of the political, economic and social agendas. Furthermore, the 100 flagship cities and 30 national networks which make up the WHO European Healthy Cities Network (WHO EHCN) “engage local 4 governments in political commitment, institutional change, capacity-building, partnership-based planning and innovation”. (WHO 2015)

In February 2018 the mayors and political leaders of cities, metropolitan regions, city regions and urban places in the WHO European Region, gathered at the Summit of Mayors in 5 Copenhagen. Following discussion of the wider issues currently affecting citizens, sustainable and practical developments were identified (see figure 1) to help ensure peaceful and prosperous societies - these are captured in the resultant document Copenhagen Consensus of Mayors: Healthier and Happier Cities for All (CCMHHC). The document identifies 6 key areas for consideration as part of healthy urban planning: People, Place, Participation, Prosperity, Peace, and Planet. Although the CCMHHC doesn’t focus specifically on urban planning, it does identify steps which can be embraced by architects and urban planners to design and develop healthier cities.

The aim of the WHO EHCN is for Healthy Cities to lead by example, tackling inequalities through innovation and sharing knowledge. Healthy Cities will act as leaders and partners in combatting common global public health challenges, environmental challenges and health inequalities.

This research explores interventions in Copenhagen which, in addition to having considered human scale, also align with the driving principles of the CCMHHC.