Legos, trains, blocks and books -- I'm certain my interest in urban planning was spurred by playing with toys like these that involved building and understanding how things work. With twin 5-year old boys at home, I'm intimately acquainted with the latest in toy trucks, games and DVDs for budding urban planners. I've gathered some of the best here, properly field tested by my boys, to help you with your holiday shopping list.
Bruder MB Garbage Truck ($55)
Movies
"Urbanized" Seeks To Chart The Future Of Planning
A.O. Scott reviews the final installment of Gary Hustwit's design trilogy, "Urbanized," and concludes that even those with a deep knowledge of urban planning are likely to learn something from the carefully selected images and interviews.
The New York Times
Friday Funny - Top Ten Cities That Need Statues from 80's Movies
While Philadelphia has a real-life statue of the famous underdog Rocky Balboa, an online campaign in Detroit wants a similar RoboCop statue put up. TIME Magazine has other must-have icons from the 80s era it thinks cities should adopt in stone.
Time
Urban Favorites
The Polis Blog presents a huge list of "urban favorites" -- songs, movies, initiatives and places that explain or highlight the best of the world's urban areas.
The Polis Blog
Historic Preservation with the Muppets
The plot of a new Muppets movie in the works is said to focus largely around historic preservation issues, according to this post from Curbed LA.
Curbed LA
Urban Planning Gift Ideas For Children (Your Budding Planner)
Fri, 11/12/2010 - 11:27
Inception Portrays Architecture As Fantasy
With the exception of Charles Bronson’s architect-turned-vigilante in Death Wish, "to be an architect in a Hollywood film is to inform the audience of certain characteristics: sensitivity, vulnerability and an innate romanticism."
Buildng Design
'Twilight' Tourism Changes Small Town of Forks
The 'Twilight' series of books and movies has created a tourism industry in the small town of Forks, Washington, population 3,120.
USA Today
Abu Dhabi Uneasy About its Role in New Movie
The new "Sex and the City" movie was set -- but not shot -- in Abu Dhabi. Now officials there are trying to decide whether or not to release the film to local audiences, as the city tries to control its brand and image.
Associated Press
Can Sc-Fi Movie Change the Fortunes of Soweto Slum?
The box office hit "District 9" was shot in a real Soweto slum, and now the residents are hoping that the popularity of the film will lead to real improvements to the settlement.
The Globe and Mail
Films a Blessing and a Curse for Small New Mexico Towns
Small towns in New Mexico are increasingly being used as film locations. But for some locals, the invasion of Hollywood is not worth the economic benefits.
Los Angeles Times
Ninth Ward, The Movie: How To Really Rebuild New Orleans
Sun, 02/08/2009 - 09:29
New Orleans is still struggling, especially its hard-hit Lower Ninth Ward. The economic recession has been bad news for development all over the world, and it's really not helping things down in New Orleans. The federal government's broke, states are cutting costs, and local government is practically bankrupt. But even in tough times, there is one place where business always seems to be good and money's always flowing: the movie industry. Maybe New Orleans should look to Hollywood as a means to recovery. It has the money, it has the incentive, and it's proven that it actually has the power to make it happen.
Theaters Catalyze Downtown Development
Former single-screen cinemas in New York City and Long Island are reopening as multi-use art centers and helping to stimulate the revitalization of dormant downtowns.
Newsday
Planning Juno
Mon, 04/21/2008 - 11:39
Many viewers may not fully appreciate movies as a visual story-telling medium, but that fact came home to me dramatically the other night while watching “Juno,” the off beat, smart and funny film that just snagged a best screenplay Oscar. The deliberate use of architecture and public spaces, in particular, was quite effective although you probably won’t find these references in plot summaries or synopses.
