How They Did It: Research Notes

The brief research stories describe the development and use of tools for public life studies. They are told in retrospect and, as far as possible, from the field where tools are often developed and adapted to the individual situation. Emphasis is on the s

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HOW TO STUDY PUBLIC LIFE

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HOW TO STUDY PUBLIC LIFE Jan Gehl and Birgitte Svarre Translation by Karen Ann Steenhard

| Washington | Covelo | London V

Copyright © 2013 Jan Gehl and Birgitte Svarre All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, 2000 M Street NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036 Island Press is a trademark of Island Press The Center for Resource Economics. Gehl, Jan, 1936[Bylivsstudier. English] How to study public life / by Jan Gehl and Birgitte Svarre ; translation by Karen Ann Steenhard. p. cm. Translation of the author's Bylivsstudier. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN-13: 978-1-61091-423-9 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-61091-423-6 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. City planning. 2. Public spaces—Social aspects. I. Svarre, Birgitte. II. Title. HT166.G43713 2013 307.1'216—dc23 2013023649

Printed on recycled, acid-free paper Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Project team Camilla Richter-Friis van Deurs, graphic layout and cover Annie Matan, project assistant Kristian Skaarup, project assistant Emmy Laura Perez Fjalland, student assistant Johan Stoustrup, student assistant Janne Bjørsted, student assistant English translation Karen Ann Steenhard This project was conducted as a research project under the auspices of Gehl Architects Urban Quality Consultants, Copenhagen. The project was made possible with the financial support of Realdania, Copenhagen. Keywords: Action research, area studies, behavioral mapping, diary method, GPS, modernism, pedestrian activity, pedestrian realm, photo documentation, shadowing, social responsibility, stationary activity, simulation laboratory, sustainability, time-lapse photography, tracking, urban policy

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Shinjuku Station, Tokyo, Japan. Approximately 1990.

Contents FOREWORD by George Ferguson

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PREFACE

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PUBLIC SPACE, PUBLIC LIFE: AN INTERACTION

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WHO, WHAT, WHERE?

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COUNTING, MAPPING, TRACKING AND OTHER TOOLS

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PUBLIC LIFE STUDIES FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

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HOW THEY DID IT: RESEARCH NOTES

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PUBLIC LIFE STUDIES IN PRACTICE

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PUBLIC LIFE STUDIES AND URBAN POLICY

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NOTES

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTO CREDITS

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Foreword by George Ferguson Jan Gehl has devoted a lifetime to the field of public life studies, which has developed since the sixties when, as a young student of architecture, I first became aware of his work. Gehl’s vision is one of making cities fit for people. He and his colleagues, including Birgitte Svarre, have written about it and advised cities, developers, NGOs and governments. This book goes behind the scenes and reveals the variety of tools in the public life studies toolbox. A proper understanding of its application is vital to all those involved in city planning and others responsible for the quality of life in our cities. As more of us move to