CITY, CONGRESS FOR NEW URBANISM TO HOST SCREENING OF “THE HUMAN SCALE” AT SOMERVILLE THEATRE JAN. 30

The Human Scale, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, questions
our assumptions about modern cities, exploring what happens when we use a
people-centered approach as the focus of city design. For forty years Jan Gehl
has systematically studied human behavior in cities: how human beings use the
streets, how they walk, see, rest, meet, and interact. Gehl's work is
statistically rigorous, but is always rooted in human experience. For instance:
How many people use a street in a 24-hour period? How many are pedestrians? How
many are driving cars or riding bicylces? How much of the street space are the
various groups allowed to use? Is this street performing well for all its
users? The film also explores topics consistent with City of Somerville goals,
including fostering happiness and quality of life among constituents.

"In Somerville, our core value is to make the city a great place to live,
work, play and raise a family", said Mayor Curtatone.  "Somerville residents often use terms like
'human scale' and 'personal' to describe both our urban fabric and our social
fabric. These values are reflected in our award-winning, grassroots SomerVision
plan for the future, and communities around the world are using similar
strategies because of designers like Jan Gehl."  

Jan Gehl conducted his first research in Italy and used his observations to
transform the planning of Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, over the past 40
years. His ideas inspired the creation of highly walkable streets, the
expansion and improvement of cycling infrastructure, and the reorganization of
parks, squares and other public spaces throughout Copenhagen and across the
Nordic region. Today, cities like New York, Melbourne, Christchurch,
and Somerville are all taking notice of Gehl's work, which helped Copenhagen
transform itself into
the world's happiest city.

"I'm proud to say that Somerville is one of the only cities in North America
that systematically measures residents' happiness," said Mayor Curtatone.  "Our research has shown that small changes in
the built environment can make a huge difference, especially if they promote
walking, interacting with neighbors, working or shopping locally.  We are using that research to prioritize
projects and improvements in neighborhoods that need them most.  I'm excited that Somerville residents will
have an opportunity to see this important film for free, and I want to thank
Ian Judge and his team at the Somerville Theatre, as well as the New England Chapter
of the Congress for New Urbanism."

Gehl
Architects is an urban research and design consultancy focused
on the relationship between the built environment and people's quality of life.
They address global trends with a people-focused approach, utilizing empirical
analysis to understand how the built environment can promote human flourishing.
They apply this analysis to strategic planning and human-centered design to
empower citizens, decision makers, company leaders, and organizations. The
work of Gehl Architects is based on Jan Gehl's five decades of extensive
research on life in public spaces. Their research continues to deal with the
many factors that influence public life and public space and how people use it.

Join us Jan. 30, at the Somerville Theatre for The
Human Scale. For tickets, visit http://humanscalesomerville.eventbrite.com.