Keynote Session at the Seoul Design International Forum 2025 – Helle Søholt’s Urban Design Philosophy
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to attend the Seoul Design International Forum 2025, an experience that was both educational and inspiring for me as a design student.
Among the sessions, the keynote “Urban Design for People and Planet: From Vision to Action” by Helle Søholt, CEO and Co-founder of the global urban design firm GEHL, was especially memorable. She explored how cities can be designed with people and the planet at the center—not just as a concept, but as a practical approach to shaping everyday urban life. Listening to her talk helped me think more deeply about what responsible and forward-looking urban design should look like.
Now in its sixth year, the Seoul Design International Forum (SDIF) was held on September 19 under the theme “Attractive City of Seoul: Designing a Better Global Life.” The event brought together experts, policymakers, scholars, and industry practitioners from Korea and abroad to share creative ideas for enhancing Seoul’s appeal and competitiveness. As a participant, it was meaningful to see how design can contribute to imagining and building a more sustainable future for the city.
In this keynote session, Helle Søholt, CEO of the internationally renowned Danish urban design firm GEHL, shared practical insights on how cities can be transformed into places that truly serve both people and the planet.
As a leading figure who has shaped GEHL’s vision for more than 25 years, she has played a central role in advancing people-centered urban development around the world. Her work spans major public-space projects such as Market Street in San Francisco, the Huangpu Waterfront in Shanghai, and George Street in Sydney—all well-known examples of urban environments redesigned with human scale and everyday citizen experience at the core.
Today, she oversees a global team of about 120 staff members in GEHL’s hubs in Copenhagen, New York, and San Francisco, continuing to champion a practical yet idealistic approach to creating more livable cities.
GEHL’s Design Philosophy: Focusing on People and Life
Helle Søholt explained that urban design is a process that should consider both everyday life and the environment.
She shared that GEHL’s philosophy is based on two main ideas:
• People-centered design: Cities should do more than offer physical space. They should support social interaction, community building, and a better quality of life.
• Life-centered design: Cities should be designed with sustainability, health, and the environment in mind.
She also mentioned that the ideas from Professor Jan Gehl’s book, ‘Life Between Buildings’ are still very important today. These principles, which focus on the small everyday moments that happen between buildings, continue to guide modern urban design.
Human Scale and Data-Driven Design
GEHL places human scale at the center of its design approach.
This means analyzing how people move, pause, and experience a space—not only its physical form, but also the psychological elements such as safety, comfort, and the overall atmosphere. The firm also uses digital tools and citizen participation to gather real data on walking patterns and spatial use. These insights become the foundation for creating healthier and more sustainable urban strategies.
Integrated Approaches and Global Examples
Cities are complex systems where transportation, culture, health, economy, and social welfare intersect. Helle Søholt emphasized the need for an integrated approach that connects these elements so that urban design leads to meaningful social outcomes rather than remaining a purely technical plan.
She introduced several representative cases:
• Copenhagen – cycling-centered mobility and human-oriented public spaces
• Shanghai – pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly waterfront development
• Sydney – transformation of a car-dominated street into a light rail corridor and walkable public realm
These examples show how thoughtful urban design can create tangible, positive changes in citizens’ everyday lives.
Climate-Aligned Urbanism and Practical Strategies
One of the most interesting parts of the session was the idea of climate-aligned urbanism, which focuses on how urban design can change people’s movement, consumption, and daily habits to help reduce carbon emissions. Helle Søholt explained the concept of “enabled emissions” and noted that the interaction between human behavior and the built environment needs to be considered in city design.
As practical strategies, she suggested reducing unnecessary ownership, supporting the sharing economy and co-living, minimizing single-use buildings through mixed-use development, and designing spaces that can be reused over time.
Another important part of the session was the idea of social infrastructure in urban design and how it could be applied to Seoul.
Helle Søholt first explained why public spaces are directly connected to social infrastructure. She pointed out that today’s public spaces are not just physical infrastructure but places where social interaction and community building happen.
Accessibility for different age groups, safety, citizen engagement, and the promotion of social exchange were all mentioned as key elements. She also introduced several examples, such as Copenhagen’s bicycle handrails, Buenos Aires’ pocket spaces, and the tool-lending program at the Berkeley Public Library.
These cases clearly showed how spatial design can influence people’s behavior and strengthen community activities.
A Message for Seoul
Helle Søholt mentioned Seoul along with other cities and stressed that good urban design must go beyond vision and philosophy—it needs to lead to real action and active citizen participation.
She noted that Seoul has begun working on sustainability and expanding public spaces, but advised that human scale, social-infrastructure planning, data-based strategies, citizen engagement, creative use of existing infrastructure, and community-focused policies will become even more important in the future.
Conclusion: Urban Design for People and the Planet
This keynote session was a chance to reaffirm that urban design is not just architectural planning but a platform for shaping better lives for both people and the planet.
Helle Søholt shared that urban design has the power to change everyday life, and that a sustainable future can be achieved by using data and involving citizens in the process.
It was a meaningful moment that clearly showed the direction that Seoul—and cities around the world—should pursue moving forward.
This was Na Young Kwak, Supporters of the Seoul Design International Forum 2025.
Thank you!
