For Immediate Release: March 30, 2011
Media Contact: Marketing and Communication Department
2011 Charles H. Atherton Memorial Lecture with architect Jan Gehl
How can Washington, D.C. become more sustainable?
WHO
Jan Gehl, architect, planner, and author
WHAT
Jan Gehl, Danish architect, planner, and author, focuses on how Washington, D.C. can become a more sustainable and human-scaled city in the context of his work making cities across the United States more walkable and bikable. In this original presentation, he examines how Washington, D.C. can help transform the historic L’Enfant plan to create more successful urban spaces while encouraging more walking and biking and less driving. Gehl’s work and influence includes:
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• Advising closing Broadway in New York City to traffic at Times Square and Herald Square |
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Gehl believes that “caring for people in the city is an important key for achieving more lively, safe, sustainable, and healthy cities, all goals of crucial importance in the 21st Century.” He writes that for years cities have “put a low priority on public space, pedestrianism, and the role of city space as a meeting place for urban dwellers” (Gehl, Cities for People). Market forces and related architectural trends have begun to value city space as an economic asset, health benefit, and essential social forum. A book signing of Gehl's Cities for People (Island Press) will follow the presentation.
H.E. Ambassador Peter Taksoe-Jensen, The Ambassador of Denmark, will introduce the program.
Dedicated to providing a forum for discourse on the planning and design of Washington, D.C., the Charles H. Atherton Memorial lecture series commemorates the life and legacy of Charles Atherton, who served for almost four decades as Secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. The series examines the architectural, historical, and natural context of the city and its development to promote visionary planning and design excellence in the nation’s capital.
WHERE
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
(Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)
WHEN
Thursday, April 7, 2011 / 6:30 – 8:00 pm
A book signing of Gehl's Cities for People (Island Press) will follow the presentation.
$12 Member; FREE Student; $20 Non-member. Prepaid registration required. Walk-in registration based on availability.
CONTACT
Stacy Adamson, sadamson@nbm.org, 202.272.2448, ext. 3458
ABOUT
The Charles H. Atherton Memorial Lecture is supported by generous contributions to the Charles H. Atherton Memorial Fund.
The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook.
