Designing from the eye-level of 95 centimeters
Investing in early childhood development in the built environment provides children with the best possible conditions for their cognitive, physical and social development. For over six decades, the Van Leer Foundation, a global philanthropic organization, has been dedicated to improving children’s wellbeing. In 2016, the Foundation launched the Urban95 program — a network of leaders, planners, designers, advocates, and communities shifting urban planning to focus on the healthy development of our city’s youngest residents.
Gehl acted as Urban95’s strategic and technical advisor and has been instrumental in the development of digital tools such as the Urban95 Public Life data collection tool and toolkit, and the Urban95 Public Life app. Gehl also hosted Masterclasses for the city network, and conducted training programs to support urban designers, policy makers, and public health advocates in documenting and analyzing the experience of children and their caregivers in public spaces.
This ongoing effort ensures that Van Leer Foundation’s technical partners are equipped in their early childhood development advocacy work to make a continued case for evidence based, child-friendly urban design. Since its inception, the global network of Urban95 Cities has adopted Gehl’s Public Life Approach to transform urban spaces for the health and wellbeing of young children.
