Guiding people-centered public spaces in downtown Florianópolis

A city-center for everyone

Florianópolis, the capital of Brazil’s island state of Santa Catarina, with striking landscapes, beautiful bays, has a compact, dense and mixed urban core. Yet in its historic downtown, car-oriented infrastructure and fragmented public spaces have limited the potential for everyday public life. Working with local partners LUA and in collaboration with ACIF, CDL and the Municipality of Florianópolis, Gehl developed a public space strategy and pilot projects to guide a more people-centered future for the city center.

The work combined urban strategy with spatial concepts to strengthen sustainable mobility, green public spaces and mixed-use urban life. As in many Gehl projects, the process began with a Public Space Public Life study, initiated during a field visit in October 2025 and expanded with local collaborators. The study provided insights into how people currently move, stay and use the city, forming the foundation for more than 70 public space guidelines and five replicable street typologies for downtown streets. Close to 100 stakeholders were engaged through a series of workshops.

Building on this analysis and insights, Gehl developed concept proposals for key areas including a new green public square next to the historic Public Market, a safer and more people-prioritized school street on Esteves Júnior, and strategic ideas for reconnecting downtown with the Beira-Mar waterfront. Together, these interventions aim to slow traffic, expand space for people and create new destinations that support everyday life while helping distribute tourism more evenly across the center.

By focusing on children, walkability, climate-responsive public spaces and stronger connections between city and sea, the project outlines a path toward a more compact, diverse and people-centered downtown — a center that reflects the identity of Florianópolis while supporting a healthier urban future.