Victor Gruen versus Jan Gehl – and the contemporary model of pedestrianization

ABSTRACT Some cities are currently proposing pedestrianization strategies, while others are debating removing their post-war pedestrian malls. To engage these seemingly conflicting actions, this research questions how ideas of pedestrianization evolved between the post-war and contemporary eras, and extracts lessons to inform contemporary pedestrianization. By examining Victor Gruen’s and Jan Gehl’s ideas about pedestrianization, this research articulates how the concept has evolved from the post-war to now. Arguably, despite claims that contemporary pedestrian strategies are new ideas, this research demonstrates how they represent an evolution from earlier post-war modernist ideas. Understanding these connections offers lessons for contemporary pedestrianization strategies.