Jan Gehl Quotes

First life, then spaces, then buildings - the other way around never works.

A good city is like a good party - people stay longer than really necessary, because they are enjoying themselves.

Cultures and climates differ all over the world, but people are the same. They’ll gather in public if you give them a good place to do it.

In a Society becoming steadily more privatized with private homes, cars, computers, offices and shopping centers, the public component of our lives is disappearing. It is more and more important to make the cities inviting, so we can meet our fellow citizens face to face and experience directly through our senses. Public life in good quality public spaces is an important part of a democratic life and a full life.

Only architecture that considers human scale and interaction is successful architecture.

Cities must urge urban planners and architects to reinforce pedestrianism as an integrated city policy to develop lively, safe, sustainable and healthy cities. It is equally urgent to strengthen the social function of city space as a meeting place that contributes toward the aims of social sustainability and an open and democratic society.

Nothing in this world is more simple and more cheap than making cities that provide better for people.

A good city is like a good party. People don't want to leave early.

If you make more roads, you will have more traffic.

An endless number of green buildings doesn't make a sustainable city.

Make it nice where you are, and put the density on top.

Something happens because something happens because something happens

I find it striking that the quality of the urban habitat of homo sapieans is so weakly researched compared to the habitats of gorillas, elephants, and Bengal tigers and panda bears in China…you hardly see anything on the habitat of man in the urban environment.