I really enjoyed this film, on at the Barbican to 23rd December (details here). It should probably be required viewing for anyone involved in decision making in London.
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.Architectural and city planning visionaries of our times including Rem Koolhaas, Oscar Niemeyer, Amanda Burden,Michael Sorkin and Norman Foster investigate what and who shapes a city – the designers, the citizens, the environment?
US/UK 2011 Dir. Gary Hustwit
"This visually arresting film, like Hustwit’s past work, elegantly conveys the omnipresence of design in daily life. Essential viewing." Josh K. Leon, Metropolis
"Urbanized is a brave and timely movie that manages to strike almost exactly the right tone. The more people who see this movie the better." Justin McGuirk, The Guardian
