Ricerc@Sapienza

In the interview Jan Gehl traces some fundamental stages of his training and his decades of research and professional activity. From the study trip in Italy in the early sixties’ the Danish architect's main concern was to think about space and its ability to influence the quality of life of those who live in it. Ingrid Mund, psychologist and wife, the Anglo-Swedish architect Ralph Erskine and the city of Copenhagen were the starting points for a reflection on the city and the way it is used by people. Modernity has neglected the needs of citizens, their attitudes and desires. The Danish architect has worked all over the world to recover this error. From Melbourne and Perth to the recent proposals for New York, he applied the "Public Space / Public Life" method, which is a survey that is based on numbers and concrete data and that listens to the needs of citizens, offering adequate answers remembering that “ life follows form ". With a thought that always comes back to where it all started: Copenhagen, a pioneering city in the enhancement of public space as a space for people, which continues to be a global reference on the role that streets can take in terms of improvement the quality of life.