Urbanized
Now this is a film I hope plays in Spokane: Urbanized,a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers.
It tells the story of the city through a series of vignettes in many other cities. Some examples include a project to reduce violence in a Cape Town slum through urban design, high speed rail in Stuggart, new architecture in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, New York’s High Line, and more. (Check the Spovangelist take on the wonders of the High Line in a recent visit.)
Profiling the High Line makes sense since it was started by two guys who lived nearby and just wanted to do something so they rallied the community around it and built grassroots support while some planners scoffed at the idea. It's an incredible project that should inspire us all to create a healthy built environment and that we can do this in our own city.
From the Synopsis: Over half the world’s population now lives in an urban area, and 75% will call a city home by 2050. But while some cities are experiencing explosive growth, others are shrinking. The challenges of balancing housing, mobility, public space, civic engagement, economic development, and environmental policy are fast becoming universal concerns. Yet much of the dialogue on these issues is disconnected from the public domain.
Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it? Unlike many other fields of design, cities aren’t created by any one specialist or expert. There are many contributors to urban change, including ordinary citizens who can have a great impact improving the cities in which they live. By exploring a diverse range of urban design projects around the world, Urbanized frames a global discussion on the future of cities.
Urbanized is the third part of Gary Hustwit’s design film trilogy, joining Helvetica and Objectified. Urbanized is currently screening at film festivals and cinemas worldwide, with television broadcasts, and release on DVD and digital formats in early 2012. Join our mailing list or follow Gary on Twitter to stay informed of new announcements.
