Film
The unsung bureaucrat: Planners in film and TV
Is there anything sexy about urban planning?
William Whyte’s Seminal Urban Film Restored
‘The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces’ changed the way planners view public space and ushered in a new way of understanding urban patterns.
A Lone Voice for Climate: How The Wild Robot Stands Apart in Hollywood
Among this year’s Oscar-nominated films, only The Wild Robot passed the Climate Reality Check, a test measuring climate change representation in storytelling, highlighting the ongoing lack of climate awareness in mainstream Hollywood films.
'The City' Documents Formative Planning Advocacy on Film
Streaming on YouTube, the 1939 film "The City" is a powerful cinematic account of advocating for planned communities.
Blade Runner's Dystopian World and the L.A. of Today
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 Last Black Man in San Francisco' Pays Homage to the City’s People and Places
The film captures a gentrifying San Francisco by incorporating many subtle details about the city's past and present.
In "Her," the L.A. of the Future Speaks to Some of Today's Anxieties
In his latest film, “Her,” Spike Jonze presents a one-of-a-kind vision of L.A.'s future.
Children of the Past Envision the City of Tomorrow
How did childhood visions of future cities differ for kids growing up in the 1980s when compared to the 1960s or today? Matt Novak shares a short film from 1983 that captures the prescient urban visions of students.
New Documentary Promotes Passenger Trains in U.S.
A new film, Trainsforming America, takes a look at passenger rail in the US from the passengers' perspective.
Feature Doc on Urban Design Out Soon (Trailer)
Urbanized is a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers.
States Fighting For Films
As states elbow each other to lure movie makers to their markets with increasingly attractive tax incentives, some say the competition has gone too far.
Charlotte's Development Animated
This paper animation clip by Rob Carter shows the urban growth and development of Charlotte, North Carolina over time.
The Geography of Netflix
By utilizing rental data Netflix makes freely available, the New York Times has published a Google Maps mashup illustrating the most popular rental titles in each zip code.
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.
Assessing Future Planning Through Film
Film is much more effective than planners or architects at assessing the possible future forms of cities, according to this article from film critic A.O. Scott.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
