Vancouver Places for People

As Vancouver’s population increases, the demands on its public realm have grown significantly. To meet this shift, Gehl conducted the largest Public Space Public Life (PSPL) Study to date to inform and develop strategic directions for a people-first vision of the city’s public realm over the next 30 years.

As a partner and director at Gehl, based on a comprehensive study (engaging 270 volunteers to conduct surveys across over 40 locations in the Downtown peninsula) I guided the team in the development of strategic recommendations. The strategies address not only the growth of the city, but also the challenges of climate change and sea level rise, changing demographics, new technologies, social isolation, homelessness, and prioritizing public spaces in an increasingly dense city. We also crafted a Public Life Data Collection Plan that outlines how to integrate public life data with spatial data to prioritize public life across all city Departments.

In June 2020, the Vancouver City Council unanimously approved Places for People Downtown as a framework to guide present and future planning efforts across the Downtown peninsula, and to inform future strategic plans across the City of Vancouver in its entirety.

This work was conducted while a partner and director at Gehl

Collaborators: Sofie Kvist (Gehl), Celsa Dockstader (Gehl), The City of Vancouver Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability and Engineering Departments and the people of Vancouver. Thank you!