Yerevan /Mediamax/. A group of representatives from Gehl Architects, a renowned and experienced Danish urban research and design consulting company, is currently visiting Yerevan.

The experts will help local authorities to make Yerevan a person-centered city, comfortable for everyone.

Gehl Architects Partner & Managing Director Henriette Vamberg and Director & Team Lead Ola Gustafsson arrived in Armenia on February 6 by the invitation of the Yerevan Municipality. They have had but little time to see the Armenian capital and they still have insufficient data for reports and suggestions. However, the guests have noticed that Yerevan is a hospitable city with sound traditions of community and public life.

Ola Gustafsson has also assessed Yerevan’s convenience for people with disabilities.

“I injured my leg while playing tennis and came to Yerevan with a crutch. It is a rather interesting way to get familiar with the city’s infrastructure, as it allowed me to see what challenges and problems people with special needs might encounter while moving through the city. I have walked in their shoes and tried to understand how the city works for them and how we can make it accessible for everyone. I have found out that traffic and road crossing can be problematic for disabled people in Yerevan.”

While studying the possibilities of urban planning in Yerevan, Henriette Vamberg has noted that the Armenian capital has big potential for it: the climate is good and the city is sufficiently green.

“We mainly focus on open spaces, but sometimes we consider how the buildings and structures affect the perception of these spaces. Perhaps, we will suggest the best examples from other countries and the global experience. For instance, school buildings in Copenhagen are used for public and cultural purposes once the classes are over.”

Head of the External Design and Advertising Department at Yerevan Municipality Araz Baghdasaryan has stated that cooperation with Gehl Architects will remain in the framework of consulting and planning. The projects proposed by the Danish company will be accepted only after they get the approval of Yerevan’s Council of the Elders and the residents of the city.

Gehl Architects has worked with more than 250 cities and carried out urban planning in Copenhagen, New York, Moscow, San Francisco and other big cities.

The company representatives believe that this work enabled them to gain experience from different cities around the globe. “Obviously, the world will learn something from Yerevan too,” said Ola Gustafsson.