Danish Wisdom Coming to Today's Study Session

We were just reminded that Danish Architect Lars Gemzoe will be speaking at today’s City Council Study Session. The topic is (always a favorite) activating Tollefson Plaza. The noon meeting has been moved to Council Chambers and TV Tacoma will be broadcasting it live. It will also be available via TVTacoma.com.

UPDATE

Lars Gemzoe came to study session and spoke about… developing public spaces into community places. He did not speak about Tollefson Plaza, although we were hoping for that transition at any moment.

As he spoke about public places, it began by stating that the planning process is broken. Why? Because it tends to start with buildings. Then, planners and developers look at the space that’s left. They bring in the landscape architects who add a few elements. Finally, LIFE is allowed to exist in the space that’s left. The result tends to be mostly out of human scale and out of the context of human life.

“What’s wrong with putting people in the planning process”

An alternative would be to start with people. Life become the center of design. Then the spaces. What’s the intention and hopeful use of the public spaces. Finally, how do we make the buildings offer what we need to support these spaces.

“Ask not what the city can do for your building. Ask what the building can do for your city.”

In looking toward what matters, Gemzoe provides these criteria:

12 QUALITY CRITERIA

Protection

1. Protect against traffic and accidents
   

2. Protection against crime & violence (feeling of safety)
   

3. Protection against unpleasant sense experiences

   Comfort
   

4. Possibilities for Walking
   

5. Possibilities for Standing / Staying
   

6. Possibilities for Sitting
   

7. Possibilities to See (people want a view)
   

8. Possiblities for Hearing / Talking
   

9. Possibilities for Play / Unfolding / Activities

   Enjoyment
   

10. Scale
    

11. Possibilites for enjoying positives aspects of climate
    

12. Aesthetic quality / positive sense experience

    One final note… BIKES! The city needs to be designed and friendly for pedestrians, bikes, people and shouldn’t be designed for cars, walls, and buildings.

    There’s more to it. Watch the video on TV Tacoma for the entire presentation.

    So… what should we do with Tollefson Plaza?

    Previously on Exit133