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Stanford Town Center

Re-envisioning the heart of the university campus for social connectedness

Sector

Civic & Public

Region

North America

Timespan

2019

White Fountain is the epicenter for Stanford student life, hijinx, protest and celebration. Credit: Stanford University

Stanford University’s White Plaza is the center of student life, but it was designed around a 1960s idea of what that life would be like. Gehl developed a new vision from more than 800 community ideas, imagining a space for engagement, vibrant daily life, and intellectual vitality in the 21st Century.

Vibrant daily life. There’s a bustling level of activity at most hours of the day, week and year. It’s the place to run into someone you know or meet someone new. Credit: Gehl
Design principles provided guidance for the design process, ensuring the spatial qualities of buildings and the public realm support, a unified vision that's focused on people, vibrant public life, and intellectual vitality. Credit: Gehl

Intellectual vitality thrives in spaces made for people

Synthesizing more than 800 ideas from 58 multi-party interviews, 8 committee meetings, 15 focus groups, a dozen white papers and numerous expert recommendations, Gehl provided Stanford University with a blueprint for the social life and experience of a space yet to be: the Town Center — an expression of Stanford’s intellectual vitality, the heart of culture and engagement on campus and a place for vibrant daily life. 

Drawing on design and cultural precedents from around the world, the Town Center would contain communal dining, meeting spaces for student groups, informal places for mentorship and learning, spaces for protest, podcasting studios, and a bohemian coffee house — just to name a few of the concepts in the collaborative vision led by Gehl. Beyond the imaginative possibilities, the vision addressed urgent campus issues like belonging, mental health, hybrid digital presence, inclusion and representation. Based on Gehl’s vision for the Town Center, detailed architectural design commenced in 2020.

Gehl and campus architects discuss precedents from around the world to inspire the new vision for Stanford’s Town Center. Credit: Blaine Merker.
Blaine Merker, Enterprise & Corporations Lead, Head of Climate, Partner A. Ghigo DiTommaso, Team Director, Partner Anna Muessig, Team Director US Cities, Partner
Gehl supported in positioning our client in becoming an open and collaborative leader on urban resilience, women and climate action in the Global South. Credit: Expo City Dubai

Conceptualising the first sustainable cities forum dedicated to the MEASA region

  • Place Activation
  • Community Engagement
  • Urban Strategy
Credit: Gehl

Delivering a people-first urban transformation in Saudi Cities

  • Community Engagement
  • Urban Mobility
  • Urban Strategy
Credit: Van Leer Foundation

Advocating for child-friendly cities globally

  • Community Engagement
  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Strategy
Credit: Lucian Racovitanl

A master plan for Santiago’s first human-scale neighborhood

  • Urban Design & Masterplanning
  • Community Engagement
  • Urban Strategy
Credit: Danilo Zambonil

Revitalizing Hillsdale shopping center into a community-oriented neighborhood hub

  • Urban Design & Masterplanning
  • Community Engagement
  • Urban Strategy
The Neighborhood for Generations Exhibition, that took place between June 2023 till September 2024, became a platform to showcase the winning ideas from the ideas competition. The Feed-Back Table by Schmidt Hammer Lassen & Fælleshaven was developed as a physical tool to kick-off participatory processes. Photo courtesy: Landsbyggefonden

Shaping a platform for an urban strategic approach to non-profit housing

  • Community Engagement
  • Urban Strategy

‘People-first’ includes you

Interested in learning more about our projects or connecting with one of our experts? We’re here to help.