Jan Gehl signing book at the meet-and-greet. (Photo: courtesy of the Danish Embassy)
The launching ceremony was held by the Danish Embassy in Vietnam and Ashui, with the participation of the award-winning author.
‘Cities for People’ is one of Jan Gehl’s latest works, published in 34 different languages and translated into Vietnamese by the architecture news-hub Ashui.
Promoting such interesting architectural philosophy as “a good city is like a good party: guests stay because they are enjoying themselves”, “Cities for People” is a page-turner not only for professionals and city planners dealing with sustainable urban development, but also those with a keen interest in improving public quality.
By addressing the question of what cities are for, if not for people, Jan Gehl looks into how to develop cities that are lively, safe, sustainable and healthy, ultimately raising life quality of the citizens.
“Cities for People” focuses on public spaces and their social dimension, the spaces where safe walking and biking are encouraged, leading to a less sedentary life “behind steering wheels and computer screens”.
Architect Jan Gehl presenting.
“I donate the book for free translation (No Royalties) into other languages, including Vietnamese because I wish that my research could be helpful to people all over the world. I fell it natural to give it to people in other countries who may use this book to create better cities for their people,” said Mr. Gehl.
Commenting on the book, Embassy’s Deputy Head Ms. Louise Holmsgaard shared: “Redefining what it means to create a vibrant city, “Cities for People” gives us a perspective on how people-friendly cities could work and look. By translating the book into Vietnamese, we hope it will make its way into the urban planning and design curriculum as well as inspire those responsible for urban and transport planning policies in Vietnam. We hope that the Danish people-centric and green-town planning would be helpful for Vietnam.”
Over the course of nine years, “Cities for People” has been published in nearly all corners of the globe and decorated with various international awards, such as the 2011 Environmental Design Research Association, Planetizen. It also topped the Brent Toderian’s 100 Best Books on City-Making 2013.
Professor/Architecture Jan GehlJan Gehl is a celebrated Danish architect and urban designer. For more than 40 years, based on his research, Jan Gehl has helped to transform urban environments around the world into cityscapes people can actually use and enjoy. He co-founded Gehl Architects in 2000 together with Helle Søholt and held a Partner position until 2011. Jan Gehl is currently a senior advisor at Gehl Architects. He also continues to research and develop the people first approach through his books and lectures. Over the course of his career, he has published many books, including “Life between Buildings”, ”Cities for People”, “New City Spaces”, “Public Spaces – Public Life”, “New City Life”, “How to study public life” and most recently “People Cities”. He is an honorary fellow of RIBA, AIA, RAIC and PIA. The Danish Embassy’s Culture ProgramPromotion of cultural exchange and people-to-people links between Denmark and Vietnam have been very significant. There has been an increase in cultural co-operation between the two countries with emphasis on creation, people’s access and participation in arts and promotion of cultural diversity. |
