Planning: Not Like In The Movies

The president of the National Housing Institute looks at how community development is portrayed on the silver screen, and how it affects the work of urban planners.

1 minute read

January 11, 2004, 1:00 PM PST

By Connie Chung

John Atlas briefly looks at four films--"Duplex," "Pacific Heights," "Wolfen" and "The Sunshine State," and comments on Hollywood's simplified and gross depictions of complex issues that housing, development and planning professionals address, including real estate speculation, housing evictions and gentrification. The exception, according to Atlas, is John Sayles' "The Sunshine State." He writes: "Intelligent movies about housing and communities are few and far between, even though these are topics that touch the lives of most people....We need more directors like Sayles who know how to entertain and challenge audiences to consider a range of viewpoints about community development."

Thanks to Connie Chung

FULL STORY: What the Movies Miss About Community Development

Friday, January 9, 2004 in Shelterforce Online

Social / Demographics United States

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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