Ilsur Metshin meets with famous Danish architect Jan Gehl

(Kazan, KZN.RU, August 26, by Adelya Galiyeva). Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin met with Danish architect and prominent public space planner Jan Gehl at City Hall today.

Jan Gehl, a prominent urban design consultant from Copenhagen, focuses on improving the quality of life in cities through making urban space pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly. Having earned Master's degree in architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, he became director of the research center of public spaces and founded the firm «Gehl Architects.» The city administrations of London, New York, Mexico City, Melbourne, Copenhagen, Sydney and other cities sought his services, and every time he aimed at creating a city for the people. Now the famous architect has come to Kazan, which in recent years has made considerable progress in developing pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly spaces.

At the meeting, the mayor welcomed the eminent architect, and, complaining that the weather was not of the best, remembered the saying: "When it rains, good people are in the house." "We are happy to welcome you and would like to thank you for coming. Our President Rustam Minnikhanov is also looking forward to meeting with you," said Ilsur Metshin and wondered how Kazan has welcomed the guests from Copenhagen.

The honored visitor thanked Kazan residents for their hospitality and added that he had been invited to Kazan by Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum in May. Kazan happens to be the third Russian city that Jan Gehl has visited. "I have always been told that Moscow and St. Petersburg are not Russia, that real Russia lies outside of those two cities. I look forward to visiting this other Russia because I am very impressed and honored to see the interest in cultural cooperation that I witness here," said the researcher.

At the end of the meeting, he gave Ilsur Metshin and the city and a small gift – his book "The city and the People." According to him, there are many works that have been written about traffic, buildings, places, but not about people and how they interact with urban space. Jan Gehl emphasized that in his works he had always paid particular attention to this matter.