Life Between Buildings
Book description
The first Danish language version of this book, published in 1971, was very much a protest against the functionalistic principles for planning cities and residential areas that prevailed during that period. The book carried an appeal to show concern for the people who were to move about between buildings, and…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Life Between Buildings as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Key to understanding cities is also to know how people experience them. Thousands of miles away but only a few years after Jacobs’ manifesto, Danish architect and urban designer Jan Gehl fascinatingly describes how people experience and behave in cities. We can use Gehl’s psychological and experiential lens to improve our urban environment, not designing buildings and cities just to appease other designers, politicians, or developers, but to real end users. Gehl’s original work has been translated into dozens of languages and expanded into one of the world’s foremost urban design firms. As an urban designer and researcher, Gehl’s book…
From Conrad's list on the exciting life of cities.
Jan Gehl’s classic book Life Between Buildings makes the passionate case that Gehl has continued to advocate throughout his life that cities are for people not cars. In this respect, he echoes some of Jane Jacobs's arguments, but whereas the target of her ire was big developers (both public and private) for him it was all of us and the need for us to leave our cars at home and rejoice in the city as a place to walk, cycle and interact. Much of my own research has focused on public spaces and how we use and manage them. This…
From Matthew's list on urban design books that inspired me.
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