The original "Blade Runner" takes place in the Los Angeles of November 2019. How does the film’s vision of the city compare with the present-day reality?
The 1982 film "Blade Runner" envisioned a Los Angeles of the future—this month, November 2019. The LAist staff takes a closer look at what Ridley Scott’s world looked like compared to real-life Los Angeles.
The movie version of the city depicts a dreary and smog-choked environment that no one talks about. "By contrast, the actual November 2019 is inundated with research, fear, conversation and controversy over the 'untold suffering' that climate change will bring."
And the demographics of the Blade Runner Los Angeles look a bit peculiar. It is, inexplicably, a city populated by Asian people wearing bamboo hats and carrying oil paper umbrellas, with few other people of color. "While Blade Runner doesn't nail the population breakdown, its instincts are right when it comes to its portrayal of a multicultural — and inequitable — future for L.A."
The article also looks at the flying cars, replicants, hyper-dense urban landscape, and housing of the sci-fi version of Los Angeles. While many of these features do not quite match up with Los Angeles as we know it, the influences behind these visions of the future and the ways they diverge from real life are interesting to consider.
FULL STORY: How The Dark Future Of Blade Runner's 2019 Los Angeles Looks In The Light Of Actual Today
Blade Runner Goes Back to the Future
Los Angeles appears in Blade Runner 2049 in name only. But the film still provides an arresting vision of a high-density future and is a reminder of the eternal ambiguity that surrounds Los Angeles.
From Planning to Action: How LA County Is Rethinking Climate Resilience
Chief Sustainability Officer Rita Kampalath outlines the County’s shift from planning to implementation in its climate resilience efforts, emphasizing cross-departmental coordination, updated recovery strategies, and the need for flexible funding.
Report Outlines Strategies for Resilient Wildfire Recovery in LA
Project Recovery offers a roadmap for rebuilding more sustainable and climate-resilient communities after wildfires and other disasters.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods
A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.
Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.
More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown
Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions