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.

February 25, 2011 - Time

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.

January 15, 2011 - The Polis Blog

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.

January 11, 2011 - Curbed LA

I've gathered some of the best here, properly field tested by my boys, to help you with your holiday shopping list.

November 12, 2010 - Chris Steins

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."

August 6, 2010 - Buildng Design

The 'Twilight' series of books and movies has created a tourism industry in the small town of Forks, Washington, population 3,120.

June 25, 2010 - USA Today

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.

May 18, 2010 - Associated Press

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.

August 25, 2009 - The Globe and Mail

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.

July 21, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

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.

February 8, 2009 - Nate Berg

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.

July 7, 2008 - Newsday

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.

April 21, 2008 - Samuel Staley