Return to Benefits Toolkit
plaza people

Public Life Diversity Toolkit

Gehl Institute

This toolkit of metrics for observation and survey tools can be used to evaluate diversity and social mixing in public spaces like plazas, parks, squares, and streets. The tools focus on public life metrics especially related to the social use of space including: intercept surveys to collect data on individuals; observational analysis to collect data on volume, age/gender, duration of stay, and sociability; and big data for macro-trends. Each list of metrics and tools provides basic instructions and limitations along with several examples from real-world projects. These tools are best used both before and after the design intervention to evaluate changes in site use and should be executed with thoughtful consideration to limitations related to number of observation sessions and the weather, time of day, day of the week, and season on observation days. 

https://issuu.com/gehlarchitects/docs/gehl_publiclifediversitytoolkit_pag

 

Topics

Recreational & social value, Transportation, Access & equity, Placemaking

The LPS Benefits Toolkit is a compilation of online calculators and tools that can be used to estimate landscape performance. The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) compiles and writes descriptions of the tools in the Benefits Toolkit. LAF has no involvement in the development, review, or maintenance of the tools. If you have questions or comments on the Toolkit itself, contact us at email hidden; JavaScript is required.

Help build the LPS: Find out how to submit a case study and other ways to contribute.