Jan Gehl at the SCHULBAU Think Tank Copenhagen 2025

For over 40 years, the architect, urban planner, and author has worked on rethinking urban life from a human perspective. His lecture “Cities for people – Cities for all” forms one of the programmatic highlights at the SCHULBAU Think Tank Copenhagen on June 3, 2025.

The city as a living space – for all generations

Jan Gehl is internationally regarded as a pioneer of urban planning that focuses on human needs rather than vehicles – whether on foot, by bicycle, or in a wheelchair. His thesis: cities that work for children work for everyone. His work is an invitation to design cities in such a way that movement, interaction, and safety become a matter of course.

Jan Gehl began transforming public spaces in Copenhagen, followed later by projects in metropolises such as Melbourne, New York, Sydney, and Moscow. The approach he helped shape is pragmatic, feasible, and applicable worldwide – regardless of a municipality’s economic power.

With books such as “Life Between Buildings” and “Cities for People,” he has influenced generations of architects and urban planners. His awards range from honorary doctorates in Edinburgh, Toronto, and Halifax to the Sir Patrick Abercrombie Medal from the UIA. As an Honorary Fellow, he is a member of numerous international architecture and planning institutes.

At the SCHULBAU Think Tank Copenhagen, Jan Gehl shares his perspective on educational buildings, urban spaces, and social responsibility – an invitation to design cities where people can meet and grow.