Danish Architect Jan Gehl talks about the intersections of architecture and social science.

Architect, consultant, author of the groundbreaking book, Cities for People, and subject of the documentary THE HUMAN SCALE, Jan Gehl of Gehl Architects answers questions for Mikki Brammer of Metropolis.
Gehl talks about his early influences, as an observer of Danish society. "Every time we build something, we manipulate the conditions of people’s lives, but most planners don’t know enough about this manipulation."
He discusses the strategy his firm employed as a consultant to the Copenhagen city council. Copenhagen is now recognized as the most walkable city on Earth. "It’s no secret that we have always built cities for people until cars started to invade our lives...Part of that strategy was focusing on having good public spaces that invite people to be outside as much as possible, because it’s important for the safety of the city and social inclusion and democracy."
He focuses on the universalities of design rather than cultural context. "We are homo sapiens and we are made as a walking animal and have the same biological history...Whether we live in Greenland or in a very hot climate somewhere, we adapt and discover, but we all have the same aspirations."
Gehl is passionate about the need for architects to understand the way people live and interact in the built environment. "Because if you just do form, then you are doing sculpture, but if you look after the interaction between life and form, you are doing architecture."
FULL STORY: Q&A: Jan Gehl on Making Cities Healthier and the Real Meaning of Architecture

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie