Gehl Selected to Conduct Public Life Survey at UofT’s St. George Campus

Jan 29th, 2025 | Posted In : Uncategorized

People-centered approach will support understanding of campus life within the streets, pathways, courtyards, and open spaces that comprise the public realm of the University’s St. George Campus.

 

Gehl Studio (https://www.gehlpeople.com/), a networked urban design and research consultancy with offices in Copenhagen, New York, and San Francisco, has been selected to lead an observational study at select outdoor spaces throughout the St. George Campus. The study, the first of its kind for the University, will span across key times of this academic year accounting for seasonal variance as well as incorporating significant events such as orientation and convocation. This initiative will assess the quality of select spaces within the campus public realm and the identified needs of the university community through a people-first approach. The first study is planned this month, February 2025, with participation from student volunteers who will observe a typical winter weekday and weekend on the St. George campus.

Gehl Studio, founded by Jan Gehl who received an honorary degree from the University of Toronto in 2015, is renowned for completing this type of work. Their 200+ Public Space Public Life surveys around the world have used observational data to tell stories that lead to major urban transformations from the pedestrianization of Times Square in NYC to the redesign of Wuhan’s waterfront. The findings from these studies will contribute to the upcoming St. George Campus Plan 2040. Further details regarding engagement with the new St. George Campus Plan will be announced later this term.

For more information, please contact: utsg.pspl@utoronto.ca