Gehl Architects has partnered with the Karel Komárek Family Foundation

The KKFF Foundation, which has been active in cities since 2006 as an initiator and partner in the transformation of public spaces, considers collaboration with Gehl Architects to be a crucial impetus for deepening the dialogue with city representatives, experts, and other partners about how to create public spaces that truly meet the needs of people.

With inspiring and internationally verified approaches from Gehl Architects, the foundation will gradually introduce the wider public to its program Transformations of Cities. A key approach through which the foundation is expanding its role is the so-called human scale urbanism. This approach places the human being – their behavior, needs, and everyday experience of the urban environment – at the center of urban planning. This approach is based on structured data collection and its interpretation in a broader social and cultural context.

"We share a fundamental goal with the KKFF Foundation to help create cities where people come first. We believe our experiences can significantly help the foundation increase the positive impact of transformations in public spaces on the everyday lives of city residents. Together we will focus not only on engaging people but also on smaller temporary interventions that help people better understand how they truly use public space. We will also participate in data evaluation and help the foundation select suitable projects for future transformations," said Morten Kjer Jeppesen, who leads the European team of Gehl Architects for urban design.

"Collaboration with Gehl Architects is an important step towards changing the approach to urban planning in the Czech Republic, which the KKFF Foundation has been advocating for more than 20 years. Partnering with an internationally respected team will help us translate proven principles of thinking about public space and quality of life in cities into the Czech context and continue to support cities in creating environments where people live well," stated the director of the KKFF Foundation Luboš Veselý. He added that the foundation has already started to apply new approaches in its projects in the South Moravian Region.

Data and People

The basis of the Gehl Architects approach is working with data on people’s behavior in public spaces – from monitoring the movement of pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles to analyzing their activities, such as staying in a certain place, meeting, or interacting. This data is complemented by so-called sensory mapping, which captures sensory experiences and related perceptions, for example, how people perceive noise, climate, how greenery affects them, or whether they feel safe in the city.

The information obtained from analyzing this data allows for a better understanding of why people linger in certain places more and in others less or not at all. Foundation projects will henceforth always be based on a thorough analysis of people’s behavior and needs with the aim of helping to create public spaces that are long-term functional, clear, and welcoming for everyday life.

About the KKFF Foundation

The Karel Komárek Family Foundation (KKFF) has been systematically working on changing people’s mindsets not only in the area of transforming public space in cities and in the perception of creating quality school gardens and their role in outdoor preschool education but also in the field of culture and artistic education. The KKFF Foundation does not only emphasize the development of long-term projects. It operates where people and society currently need it. The family foundation was established in 2017 by Karel Komárek (founder of the KKCG group) and his wife Štěpánka Komárková.

About the Transformations of Cities Program

The Transformations of Cities program of the KKFF Foundation aims to connect key stakeholders and change their perspective on the creation of public space. The foundation's approach to transforming parks and public spaces is based on reflecting everyday needs of people and shaping and deepening their relationship with a particular place. Since 2006, the foundation has helped restore 10 parks. Currently, it is also involved in projects for the renewal of Hodonín after the tornado. It started collaborating with Gehl Architects in 2026.

About Gehl Architects

Gehl Architects is a leading global consulting company in the field of urban strategy and design, with offices in Copenhagen, New York, and San Francisco. Founded in 2000 by Jan Gehl and Helle Søholt, the company has been helping transform some of the most iconic places in the world for over two decades. It prioritizes the human-lived experience in urban development. Gehl Architects helps shape places that are healthier, more resilient, and inclusive for all.