Gehl Architects UN Global Compact COP 2010

UNITED NATIONS
GLOBAL COMPACT
GEHL ARCHITECTS | COMMUNICATION ON PROGRESS 2010

GLOBAL COMPACT

Launched in July 2000, the United Nations (UN) Global Compact is both
a policy platform and a practical framework for companies that are
committed to sustainability and responsible business practices.

UN Global Compact aligns business Through a wide spectrum of specialized
operations and strategies everywhere with workstreams, management tools, resources,
ten universally accepted principles in the and topical programs, the UN Global Compact
areas of human rights, labour, environment aims to advance two complementary
and anti-corruption. By doing so, business, objectives:
as a primary driver of globalization, can help
ensure that markets, commerce, technology 1. Mainstream the ten principles in business activities
and finance advance in ways that benefit around the world
economies and societies everywhere. 2. Catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals,
including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
As social, political and economic challenges
(and opportunities) — whether occurring at By doing so, business, as the primary agent
home or in other regions — affect business driving globalization, can help ensure that
more than ever before, many companies markets, commerce, technology and finance
recognize the need to collaborate and partner advance in ways that benefit economies and
with governments, civil society, labour and the societies everywhere and contribute to a more
United Nations. sustainable and inclusive global economy.

This ever-increasing understanding is reflected The UN Global Compact is not a regulatory
in the Global Compact's rapid growth. With instrument, but rather a voluntary initiative that
over 8700 corporate participants and other relies on public accountability, transparency
stakeholders from over 130 countries, it is and disclosure to complement regulation and
the largest voluntary corporate responsibility to provide a space for innovation.
initiative in the world.

2 Gehl Architects · Urban Quality Consultants · Gl. Kongevej 1, 4.tv · 1610 København V · Danmark · www.gehlarchitects.dk

The UN Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact,
within their sphere of inﬂuence, a set of core values in the areas of human
rights, labour standards, the environment and anti-corruption

HUMAN RIGHTS ENVIRONMENT

Principle 1: Businesses should support Principle 7: Businesses should support a
and respect the protection of internationally precautionary approach to environmental
proclaimed human rights; and challenges;
Principle 2: make sure that they are not Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote
complicit in human rights abuses. greater environmental responsibility; and
Principle 9: encourage the development
LABOUR and diffusion of environmentally friendly
technologies.
Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the
freedom of association and the effective ANTI-CORRUPTION
recognition of the right to collective
bargaining; Principle 10: Businesses should work against
Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of corruption in all its forms, including extortion
forced and compulsory labour; and bribery.
Principle 5: the effective abolition of child
labour; and An integral part of the UN Global Compact
Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination commitment are the individual members
in respect of employment and occupation. Communication on Progress (COP). Gehl
Architects joined the UN Global Compact in
2008, and this document is our ﬁrst COP.

Gehl Architects · Urban Quality Consultants · Gl. Kongevej 1, 4.tv · 1610 København V · Danmark · www.gehlarchitects.dk 3

GEHL ARCHITECTS – IN BRIEF

THE HUMAN DIMENSION
Gehl Architects - Urban Quality Consultants is a consulting firm offering expertise in the fields of
architecture, urban design and city planning. Our work is based on the human dimension – the built
environment’s effect on social interaction between people in urban design. We consider the lively and
widely used public realm to be one of the most important keys to quality in cities.

We develop solutions based on detailed analysis of the existing social and built context in the form
of public life and public space surveys. Thus our design and planning solutions are based on a
comprehensive understanding of people’s use of public space and the way people experience urban
quality.

RESEARCH AS THE FOUNDATION
The work of Gehl Architects is based on Professor Jan Gehl’s 40 years of extensive research on life in
public spaces. This research deals with the many factors that influence public life and public space and
how people use it. Although physical aspects of humans such as our senses and the way we walk and
sit are timeless, we continue our research to further develop our knowledge regarding how the physical
environment influences social interaction.

The initial research was published in Professor Jan Gehls 1971 book, Life Between Buildings, that
continues to be a widely used handbook on the relationship between public spaces and social life in
cities and has been translated into more than 25 languages. Through the years we have published a
number of books, reports and articles that document the research, the theories, the methods and the
work including many Public Space Public Life Studies carried out in cities all over the world.


OUR BASE IS COPENHAGEN, OUR TEAM IS MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Our base is Copenhagen, a city we have collaborated with, studied and worked in for more than 40
years. Our large scale Public Space Public Life Studies in Copenhagen in 1968, 1986, 1995 and 2005
have provided Copenhagen with a unique insight and documentation of the public life and a substantial
knowledge of what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to making cities for people. In great
part based on this research, Copenhagen has become one of the worlds most people friendly cities
and a global leader when it comes to pedestrians and cycling.

Our interdisciplinary team of 35 people include architects, urban designers, landscape architects,
graphic designers, sociologists, anthropologists and cultural theorists. Additionally, Gehl Architects
employ several senior consultants each internationally recognized experts within their ﬁeld. The
management consists of two partners, Professor Jan Gehl and Helle Søholt, three directors and a
number of associates. The ofﬁce consists of three teams – Gehl Institute, Gehl Cities and Gehl Studio.


GEHL INSTITUTE
BUILDING CAPACITY AND EMPOWERMENT

The Institute team builds capacity and empowers individuals, communities, institutions and
organizations through teaching, knowledge-sharing activities and communication that focus on change-
of-mindset towards making cities for people. The services are provided through lectures, seminars,
symposia and workshops. The Institute team also provides project reviews, direct city and client
consultancy and other forms of advocacy work on a global basis. The clients are both public bodies and
institutions on a state, regional and local level as well as non-governmental organizations, foundations
and other entities all over the world that work to promote people-friendly and sustainable city planning.
The Institute team have worked in locations such as Copenhagen, Helsingborg, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico
City and Kunsan.

GEHL CITIES
PROVIDING INTELLIGENCE TO MAKE CITIES BETTER

The Cities team work to make existing cities better by providing politicians, city administrators and
other decision-makers with the much needed data on the many factors that influence public life and
public space in cities and how people use it. Gehl Cities work grows directly from Jan Gehl’s 40 years
of extensive research on life in public spaces. The Cities team not only provides systematic data through
internationally recognized methods but also produces recommendations for concrete improvements that
the cities can engage in. The clients are primarily cities, of all sizes and from all over the world, that want
to create a more people-friendly environment. The Cities team have carried out projects in cities such as
Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Malmö, London, New York, Sydney, Melbourne, Istanbul, Chennai and
Chongqing.

GEHL STUDIO
MASTERPLANNING WITH PEOPLE IN MIND

The Studio team develop masterplans and design solutions for existing cities as well as new
cities and city areas. The extensive research on public space and public life in cities, carried out by
Professor Jan Gehl and Gehl Architects, has produced insights and findings that are easily applied to
masterplanning. These findings inform the design solutions with a humanistic core, whether it be in
the case of a street or a square or it be on the scale of a neighbourhood or a city quarter. The clients
are both private developers as well as cities that want to develop cities and city areas according to a
more people-friendly planning philosophy. The Studio team have worked in cities and places such as
Vienna, London, Muscat, Los Angeles and Brighton.


Connected

Comfortable
Muscat
City for people Intense
Inviting

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OUR STATEMENT OF CONTINUED SUPPORT

Gehl Architects – Urban Quality Consultants Gehl Architects work to create sustainable
joined the United Nations Global Compact in environments and promote a holistic lifestyle.
2008 and we continue to support the initiative. Our approach to design extends beyond the
use of sustainable materials and includes
Our vision is to create better cities. We a strong advocacy for walking, cycling and
aspire to create cities that are lively, healthy, alternative transport – issues that address
attractive, sustainable and safe - and thereby global challenges such as environmental
improve people’s quality of life. conditions, social inequality and health.

At Gehl Architects we firmly believe that a We aspire to address all the issues, that have
good city is a city where the human scale in a foundation in the United Nations Global
city planning is looked well after. By allowing Compact initiative, in all of the projects we
the aspirations for the public realm to drive the develop around the world but also through our
design process, the public spaces can serve communication effort, our capacity building
as a place for all, while embracing the unique as well as in the office amongst ourselves.
qualities and amenities of the specific urban The core of the United Nations Global
context: A city should open up, invite and Compact initiative is sitting at the heart of the
include people, having different activities and decade long effort of our team to improve the
possibilities and thereby ensuring multiplicity world’s cities and make them places of quality
and diversity. for all people. Hence it is with great pride
that we express our continued support to the
All the ten principles of the United Nations United Nations Global Compact initiative.
Global Compact are played out in the public
realm and in the city as such. And all the ten
principles can be supported by a sustained
focus on making the public realm open,
accessible, democratic and a place of quality Helle Søholt and Jan Gehl
for all people. Founding Partners
Gehl Architects – Urban Quality Consultants


”Whereas neglect has just about extinguished city life
in some economically developed countries, pressure
from developments has pushed life into extremely
adverse conditions in many countries with less
developed economies. In both cases making city life
viable will require careful work with people’s conditions
for walking, bicycling and using the city’s outdoor
space.

Core issues are respect for people, dignity, zest for
life and the city as meeting place. In these areas,
the diﬀerence between the dreams and desires of
people in various parts of the world are not dramatic.
The methods for dealing with these issues are also
surprisingly similar, because it all comes down to
people, who have the same basic point of departure”.
Professor Jan Gehl, Cities for People, Island Press, 2010

GEHL ARCHITECTS INITIATIVES TO IMPLEMENT
GLOBAL COMPACT PRINCIPLES IN OUR WORK

HUMAN RIGHTS LABOUR

Principle 1 Principle 3
Businesses should support and respect the Businesses should uphold the freedom of
protection of internationally proclaimed human association and the effective recognition of the
rights. right to collective bargaining

Make sure that they are not complicit in human The elimination of all forms of forced and
rights abuses compulsory labour

Principle 5
Our actions
The effective abolition of child labour
Our mission is to create better cities, and we
consider the good city as human. We plan and
Principle 6
design citities based on the human scale and in
The elimination of discrimination in respect of
respect of people’s daily life. We seek to create
employment and occupation.
lively, safe, sustainable and healthy cities all over
the world. We seek to increase quality of life.
Our actions
As a consultancy company who operates
When hiring people to work with us or when
internationally, in developed and developing
collaborating with others neither race, color, sex,
countries, we think it is our responsibility to
language, religion, political beliefs or nationality, is
advocate and uphold the human rights where we
used to discriminate. It is solely educational and
work as well as at our ofﬁce.
professional experiences that form the basis for
our hiring policy. We furthermore actively seek to
engage and embrace across cultures whenever
possible. It is free to everyone to enter unions
and associations and all our staff have individual
contract that are designed according to the
Danish work legislation and requirements. We do
not employ underage persons.


ENVIRONMENT ANTI-CORRUPTION

Businesses should support a precautionary Businesses should work against corruption in all
approach to environmental challenges its forms, including extortion and bribery.

Our actions
Principle 8
We dissociate from corruption of every kind
Undertake initiatives to promote greater
and advocate democratic values, respect and
environmental responsibility; and
transparency in our work. These values are also
an essential part of our relation to partners,
Principle 9
clients and employees. We have not been
Encourage the development and diffusion of
involved in any kind of corruption.
environmentally friendly technologies

Our actions
Creating more sustainable cities is part of our
core business. We base our vision on Professor
Jan Gehl’ 40 years of research on how people
and cities interact and have from the beginning
approached a more sustainable way of living –
environmentally, social and economical – and
acknowledged the environmental challenges that
we face. Many of our projects aim to engage in
environmental questions, aiming to maintain and
develop sustainable actions and solutions.


EXAMPLE #1:
MEXICO CITY/MEXICO – BICYCLE MOBILITY PLAN

In Mexico City the average time spent in traffic to provide consultancy services to advice on
every day is 2.5 hours, 26 pedestrian are killed a transport improvement project establishing
every day from traffic injury. The city is facing new bicycle infrastructure in Mexico City. The
tremendous challenges to turn itself around to ambition is to establish a total of 300 km of new
more livable and sustainable solutions that also in bicycle tracks over a period of four and a half
terms of mobility respond better to the needs of years.
the many poor inhabitants in the city.
Gehl Architects consultancy has resulted in
In developing countries access to varied modes the Bicycle Mobility Strategy for Mexico City
of transportation is an important issue, mainly which integrates a series of initiatives and
because the infrastructure of many cities are recommendations and targets all relevant
planned more for the cars and less for people stakeholders, from politicians to city officials to
it may seem. The mobility aspect is distinct the city staff responsible for the operational level.
in more poor cities, since large parts of the
population often don’t have the opportunity to The overall vision for the Bicycle Mobility
have a car and therefore need to move about in Strategy is to create a more competitive,
other ways. By refining and creating sidewalks equitable, and sustainable Mexico City. In this
and bicycle lanes, and improving the public sense, the project is much more than a project
transportation systems we help to ameliorate providing bicycle paths for cyclists. The project
mobility opportunities for everyone. This mobility will have a tremendous impact on the daily life of
oriented development becomes part of creating every citizen in Mexico City - how they perceive
a more social and democratic city – equal access and experience their city, the quality of air, how
to mobility. they use their time, and where and how they
move. The Mobility Strategy Plan for bicycles
Gehl Architects worked with The Secretaria aims to be part of the overall solution to Mexico
de Medio Ambiente del Districto Federal (City City’s challenging situation and will be part of
of Mexico City, Environmental Department) & achieving the city’s overall goals.
Universidad Nacional Autónoma De Méxicoto


EXAMPLE #2:
AMMAN/JORDAN – URBAN REALM STRATEGY

The Greater Amman Municipality employed Gehl dominated space has been developed into a
Architects to develop strategies for two pilot people friendly space with focus on recreational
projects that could be used as the benchmark for activities. In collaboration with Nyvig Traffic
developing inviting public spaces in the city in the Engineers, design guidelines were developed
future. The two areas, Ashrafiyeh and Sweifieh, for a car free area with proposed upgrades to
respectively a district in the old city and a more buildings surrounding the square, and strategies
modern development, are quite different in for organizing traffic including new taxi ranks and
character and therefore represent a wide range of bus stops.
design problems to be considered.
In Sweifieh strategies have been developed to
We advocate for an increased prioritization of the create a hierarchy of new urban spaces including
public space, of pedestrianism and the role of the a detailed space program for the main pedestrian
city space as a meeting place for all city dwellers. street. The strategy is based on a detailed life
By prioritizing the public spaces you improve and urban quality analysis of this 5 km2 key
the social and cultural life in the city. Creating retail area that is the most popular international
good public spaces invites interaction between brand shopping street in the city. Wakalat
people. The two areas in Amman, Ashrafiyeh and Street opened as a pedestrian street in 2007. In
Sweifieh, were very traffic dominated and we collaboration with Nyvig Traffic Engineers, we
helped transform them into public spaces that developed strategies to reduce through traffic
invite human interaction, plus are more safe and and parking search traffic, as well as for new
healthy environment. parking systems while optimizing existing parking
options.
Ashrafiyeh is located in one of the original
seven hill districts of the city. The site is an
existing undeveloped public space, situated
between the largest hospital in the country and
a major mosque. This vital, yet otherwise traffic


EXAMPLE #3
GUANGZHOU/CHINA – MOBILTY ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT

Gehl Architects in collaboration with ITDP In Guangzhou we worked with local planners to
(Institute for Transport and Development Policy) introduce principals for the entire system, as well
and local planners in Guangzhou have developed as for a speciﬁc site, emphasizing the importance
new people oriented principles for the public of putting people in the centre of public space
transportation system and suggested design planning surrounding public transport.
concepts for new public spaces along the BRT
(Bus Rapid Transit). With the implementation The work resulted in a change of the overall
in Guangzhou of new public transport the strategy and a design concept for a speciﬁc site,
connections to the surrounding neighbourhoods stating a best practice approach for the public
become crucial for the success of the project. spaces to come.

Public transport users arrive, almost without
exception, as pedestrians, bicyclist or by other
modes of public transport. This is the case all
over the world. This means that the quality for
people in the transit zones becomes extremely
important for the experience and use of the
public transport system.


EXAMPLE #4
NEW YORK CITY, USA – URBAN REALM & BICYCLE STRATEGY

World Cla
ss
Streets:
Remaking
New York
City’s Public
Realm

3

In 2007, Gehl Architects were engaged to advice and promoting a balance between modes of
on both long-term and short-term improvements transportation including the implementation of
in-line with the New York City Mayor’s PlaNYC several new public spaces and the completion of
Initiative: A vision for a “greener, greater NYC” in a comprehensive bicycle lane network. This work
2030. A key strategy is to “re-imagine the City’s is published in the “World Class Streets” report
public realm” and develop an urban environment which is part of an ambitious and far reaching
that is people friendly. Quantitative goals include effort to place New York at the forefront of urban
a 30% reduction of C02 emissions, planting 1 development.
million trees, implementing 300 km of cycle
lanes as well as performance standards such as The project has so far doubled the amount of
ensuring all citizens are within a 10 minute walk bicycle lanes in NYC and as a result twice as
of a public open space, doubling the percentage many New Yorkers commute to work on bicycle.
of cyclist commuters and reducing traffic related A seven mile car-free route, known as Summer
deaths by 50%. Streets, from Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park,
opened in the summers of 2008 and 2009. Over
Working together with the Mayor’s office, 300,000 people attended the events, some
the Department of Transportation as well as trying bicycling on city streets for the first time.
business and community stakeholders and The event earned rave reviews from New Yorkers
interests groups, Gehl Architects were hired to and local papers, catching the attention of cities
analyse the current condition of NYC’s public across the world.
realm. The analysis led to a strategic vision
aimed at improving conditions for pedestrians


SPEAKING OUT LOUD

Achieving change, whether it be changing the Speaking out loud has been an integral part of
world at large or changing the various smaller Gehl Architects activities and worldview, as it
worlds of family, friends, relations, workplace were, ever since the company was founded in
or indeed the world of cities, requires that 2000. And before that, speaking out loud formed
one voices concern and engages in raising an integral part of founding partner, Professor
awareness of the important issues whenever Jan Gehls activities, for more than four decades,
possible and that one speaks out loud. when teaching and lecturing at the School of
Architecture, Royal Danish Academy of Fine
Being a private company engaged in changing Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark, and in academic
the cities of the world to better cities for all institutions around the world.
people we apply several means to both speak
out loud and be heard. Speaking out loud in In relation to the United Nations Global Compact
the form of lectures and keynotes, knowledge initiative we consider the activity of speaking
sharing, capacity building, and communication out loud about our commitment to the Global
are some of the means we employ. Compact, and the wider implications of the
principles within the sphere of inﬂuence that is
ours, as very important.


KNOWLEDGE SHARING

From the very beginning of Professor Jan Gehls world. The basic motivation has been to make
academic career in the 1960’s knowledge sharing knowledge available in a form that would allow
has formed a basic principle by which to live. local people and decision makers to promote
Raising the awareness of the way people are change. The principle of knowledge sharing has
treated – or as it were, aren’t treated well at all – been maintained also through the many books
in cities around the world and the implications of and reports that Professor Jan Gehl and Gehl
this on the level of well-being and the quality of Architects have published over the years, sharing
life attained has been communicated to decision the methods and tools we have developed with
makers through reports and empirical data everyone interested.
and has been shared with cities all around the


CAPACITY BUILDING

An integral part of many of the large Public Space has been an important goal in our activities ever
Public Life surveys that Gehl Architects have since the beginning. This teaching activity has
carried out over the years is the cooperation with since developed into actual capacity building
both schools and universities, as well as with city programs that have been employed in many
ofﬁcials and administrators, in the cities being cities in Latin, South and North America, in Asia,
surveyed. Teaching and educating local people so Oceania, Europe and in the Middle East. We
that they can continue monitoring developments emphasize to equip people with better means
and promote awareness of the issues at stake of sustaining and developing their own quality of
after we as private consultants have left the city life.


COMMUNICATION

Connected to our efforts of knowledge sharing or even a duty to share our knowledge with
and capacity building we also devote much focus people. This has brought us to Cape Town, Sao
to communication in articles, public lectures, and Paolo, Chennai, Guadalajara and many other
presentations on symposia and conferences, places in the world, where there is a need to put
on our webpage and not least through our blog, more focus on treating people well in cities but
Making Cities for People. The lecture activity is where the means to achieve this may not be as
widespread, and we make an effort to travel to abundantly present as in many western cities.
all corners of the world to share our methods and Our blog-initiative is also used to swiftly share
solutions to making cities better for people. We news and knowledge that can contribute to
have made it a company policy also to engage in change in terms of better cities for people all over
lecturing activities when the immediate reward the world.
in terms of fee or new jobs is not necessarily
present, but where we sense there is a need


Gl. Kongevej 1, 4.tv · DK-1610 København V
Tel: +45 32 950 951 · Fax: +45 32 950 958
mail@gehlarchitects.dk · www.gehlarchitects.dk

Gehl Architects UN Global Compact COP 2010

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