What? The connections, experiences and relationships we build while playing basketball in the park or walking on the sidewalk are part of what is considered Public Life. To help mayors improve in supporting the development of Public Life, Gehl Institute, an urban planning firm based out of New York, developed a guide for them.

The Mayor’s Guide to Public Life is an inspiration and how-to guide for city leaders throughout the globe. Based upon a series of interviews with mayors and designers, the guide proposes 5 strategies: Measure, Invite, Do, Evolve and Formalize. With these strategies in-hand, municipalities will have the inspiration and framework needed to build more accessible and inclusive public spaces.

Why? Improving Public Life is a strategy that can be used to increase health, safety and economic vibrancy in a region. The Mayor’s Guide to Public Life provides introductory steps for any city to begin making these improvements. The success stories of the cities featured demonstrate how public life connects more broadly to community development issues and can facilitate the advancement of equity at the local level.