Jan Gehl Topped Off Your Tires
Yes, the title of this post is a play on BarackObamaIsYourNewBicycle. 
In an informative and entertaining article in the Chronicle, ‘Urban Design Writer’ John King, writes about Gehl’s recent visit, and what he thinks about the Fisherman’s Wharf area.
Gehl’s sense of humor is something that I, and many other sometimes-fittingly-cynical bike advocates, can applaud:
The scene offered plenty of opportunities for the genial Dane to speak his mind - such as the triangular parking lot that fills most of a block between Jefferson Street and the bay. The port leases it to restaurateurs.
“What a very good idea to have a parking lot right here to greet you. I cherish this,” Gehl said with heavy sarcasm. “Wonderful, San Francisco.”
Gehl’s firm, Gehl Architects, won’t actually be doing the Fisherman’s Wharf plan - they’re just outside consultants - advisers.
Gehl offered some ‘rules of thumb’ for good urban design:
Rein in the automobile. “For 50 years we were completely obsessed with making room for cars,” Gehl says. “We need to show respect for people who are moving about on foot or by bicycle.”
Accentuate the positive. “Celebrate the things that give a place its special character - views of mountains or water, historic buildings. If it’s nice for the locals, visitors will love to come there also.”
Emphasize the out-of-doors. “We do almost all our work indoors; we need to move in our leisure time. People want to walk, run, bicycle - or sit and enjoy the setting, have a cappuccino.”
Design for all ages. “Various groups in the population have various needs,” Gehl says. For instance, fold active playgrounds into a district - but put them where parents can relax with a glass of wine while children let off steam.
Is anyone else feeling very optimistic about the future of Fisherman’s Wharf?
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October 14th, 2008 at 9:14 am
The city’s taxpayers paid $130,000 for these banal observations? Ridiculous.