Winter cities Edmonton 20.01.2012

Lars Gemzøe Architect M.A.A.

Senior Consultant Associate Partner Gehl Architects

The Winter World

Edmonton Copenhagen

Snow and frost

Long dark nights and short days

Great winter cities…are usually great the year around

A little trip to Copenhagen

We dream of summerExtending the (warm) season

Copenhagen

We got good quality spaces and we liked it

1/3 of the out door activity is now in the evening and night in the summer

…so we stayed longer and longer

We loved to sit at outdoor cafes

Copenhagen

…so we extended it from day to evening in the summer

Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Blankets became a Copenhagen standard

Copenhagen

Why not extend it into early Spring or late Fall?

Outdoor cafes all year round - summer

Copenhagen

…and winter

Copenhagen

The beach back in town we cannot get enough of it

Copenhagen

We got good conditions for walking…..

…and a culture of walking emerged

Copenhagen

…..so we keep on walking

…..so we keep on doing most things

Edmonton:2 hour of sunshine per day in December10 hours of sunshine per day in in June

Copenhagen: 1 hour of sunshine per day in December8 hours of sunshine per day in in June

Data from Canada’s and Denmark’s Meteorological Institutes on Danish weather website www.mitrejsevejr.dk

Building a tradition for exhibitions

…extending it to all seasons

Enjoying the Winter season – exhibition….mostly about warmer places!

Exhibitions all year…..Exhibitions all year around

Better conditions for cycling…….

Bicycling has almost doubled in the last 10 years

….became a city alive and full of people

…..and we continued into the winter

CopenhagenCopenhagen

70 % continue in the winter

Cycle the year around

Copenhagen

Snow cleaning for pedestrians and cyclists first

DenmarkCopenhagen

Cleaning where people want to go

DenmarkCopenhagen

Enjoying the dark seasonPut a little light……

Copenhagen City Hall Square

Copenhagen City Hall Square

Pedalling to put light on the Christmas tree

Tivoli Garden Russian Winter theme 2011, CopenhagenTivoli Gardens Copenhagen

Solbjerg Plads, Frederiksberg

Winter markets

Nyhavn Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Winter events

Enjoying the winter season Skiing down town Copenhagen

Enjoying the winter season – skating in the down town

Enjoying Winter activities down town

Enjoying the winter season – fashion show on the ice

Copenhagen

Enjoying the dark season COP 15 exhibition

Using the dark season – design exhibition

The backbone is high quality spaces for public life

“The weather is always wrong …..and it is not our culture”

Dreaming of Summer

Extending the (Warm) Season

Enjoying the Winter Season

You have twice as much sunshine in the winter compared to Copenhagen

What are you dreaming about?

Warm almonds