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The final documentary in director Gary Hustwit's design film trilogy (Helvetica, Objectified), Urbanized features some of the world's foremost architects, planners, policymakers, and thinkers, including Sir Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas, Jan Gehl, Oscar Niemeyer, Amanda Burden, Enrique Peñalosa, Alejandro Aravena, Eduardo Paes, Rahul Mehrotra, Ellen Dunham-Jones, Ricky Burdett, James Corner, Michael Sorkin, Bruce Katz, Candy Chang, Edgar Pieterse, and many more, including extraordinary citizens who have affected change in their cities.
Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it? And how does the design of our cities affect our lives? By exploring a diverse range of urban design projects in dozens of cities around the world, from massive infrastructure initiatives to temporary interventions, Urbanized frames a global discussion on the future of cities.
Awards and Accreditations: Official selection: Toronto International Film Festival
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:DVD
This is the third and I think final film in Gary Hustwit's design trilogy. He has gone from fonts with Helvetica [DVD] [2007] [Region 1] [NTSC] to the design of objects Objectified [DVD] [2009] and concludes with a film about cities and urbanism.
I enjoyed Objectified, but was not entirely won over by it, on the other hand this is an incredible film that everyone ought to watch. A documentary about cities could glamourise impossibly beautiful cities with swooping helicopter views at dusk, while ignoring the fact that they are dehumanising and unliveable, or one could portray cities as Dickensian slums filled with poor wretched urchins.
Hustwit plots a middle course, glossy shots of Brasilia are quickly undermined by shots of residents walking miles to get anywhere. Slums and favelas are shown to be chaotic but with some effort not actually all that bad. He wisely focusses on the people who live in cities, and what makes cities liveable, rather than being seduced by glass clad skyscrapers.
Throughout there is a realism, and actually some cautious optimism, there are some remarkable and even heroic people making cities human and liveable. I am reasonably well read on this topic, so there are the references that you would expect, Jane Jacobs, Garden cities, failed cities, favelas, the high line, etc, but the familiar is well handled and there is enough material that is new and unfamiliar to make this well worthwhile.
A couple of comments, it may take a couple of viewings to really get drawn into the film, and it does assume a little knowledge of things like the High Line and Hurricane Katrina that might age it in years to come, but this is a well made, humane and important film about a very important topic. And it is a film that makes you feel better about things, it has heroes and optimism.
I enjoyed Objectified, but was not entirely won over by it, on the other hand this is an incredible film that everyone ought to watch. A documentary about cities could glamourise impossibly beautiful cities with swooping helicopter views at dusk, while ignoring the fact that they are dehumanising and unliveable, or one could portray cities as Dickensian slums filled with poor wretched urchins.
Hustwit plots a middle course, glossy shots of Brasilia are quickly undermined by shots of residents walking miles to get anywhere. Slums and favelas are shown to be chaotic but with some effort not actually all that bad. He wisely focusses on the people who live in cities, and what makes cities liveable, rather than being seduced by glass clad skyscrapers.
Throughout there is a realism, and actually some cautious optimism, there are some remarkable and even heroic people making cities human and liveable. I am reasonably well read on this topic, so there are the references that you would expect, Jane Jacobs, Garden cities, failed cities, favelas, the high line, etc, but the familiar is well handled and there is enough material that is new and unfamiliar to make this well worthwhile.
A couple of comments, it may take a couple of viewings to really get drawn into the film, and it does assume a little knowledge of things like the High Line and Hurricane Katrina that might age it in years to come, but this is a well made, humane and important film about a very important topic. And it is a film that makes you feel better about things, it has heroes and optimism.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Urban Design And Development: An Incredibly Broad Topic, But An Undeniably Fascinating Documentary
9 Feb 2012
The final entry in Gary Hustwit's impressive design film trilogy is aptly entitled "Urbanized." This documentary is a uniquely fascinating look at how urban design across the globe is shaping the future of our cities. In his previous documentary features within this series, he has looked at typography (Helvetica) and every day objects (Objectified) in new and interesting ways. While neither of those films seemed to have a particularly sexy topic (especially typeface!), Hustwit managed to pack both films with surprisingly entertaining stories and unusual facts. "Urbanized" take perhaps the largest theme and gives us a peek at many cities around the world to show how vital planning and design execution has been in dealing with their everyday problems. And while I was never less than captivated by this appealing presentation, the topic was so incredibly broad. As such, the all-encompassing nature of the film causes it to lack focus (or seem to) as we jaunt from country to country tackling incredibly diverse issues.
From tales of overcrowding, to city sprawl, to surface beauty, to functional layouts, to transportation, to public safety, to environmental impact--this is just scratching the surface of the many themes brought up in the film. Each topic is presented in a different city with local personalities (be they architects, planners, politicians, artists, or activists) contributing to whatever the discussion may be. I was genuinely involved in just about every story in the 85 minute film, but even if something might not strike your fancy--just wait a few minutes, and you'll be off to a new destination. I'm not entirely sure that everything was effectively tied into urban design as a cohesive central topic, but the movie was engaging and intelligent and kept my interest. It just lacked a little unity.
That said, I certainly recommend the film for anyone with an interest in local politics. For me, the individual contributions from a practical standpoint offered more resonance than those from a design perspective. Where public concerns and functional needs had to be addressed by local government or citizenry provided much of the meat and drama within the film. As our cities continue to grow, it makes sense to look at how this population influx will affect these urban centers. How we adapt will be crucial to the future success of these cities. "Urbanized" introduces a lot of interesting topics, gives them a cursory look, and leaves you with a lot to think about. KGHarris, 2/12.
From tales of overcrowding, to city sprawl, to surface beauty, to functional layouts, to transportation, to public safety, to environmental impact--this is just scratching the surface of the many themes brought up in the film. Each topic is presented in a different city with local personalities (be they architects, planners, politicians, artists, or activists) contributing to whatever the discussion may be. I was genuinely involved in just about every story in the 85 minute film, but even if something might not strike your fancy--just wait a few minutes, and you'll be off to a new destination. I'm not entirely sure that everything was effectively tied into urban design as a cohesive central topic, but the movie was engaging and intelligent and kept my interest. It just lacked a little unity.
That said, I certainly recommend the film for anyone with an interest in local politics. For me, the individual contributions from a practical standpoint offered more resonance than those from a design perspective. Where public concerns and functional needs had to be addressed by local government or citizenry provided much of the meat and drama within the film. As our cities continue to grow, it makes sense to look at how this population influx will affect these urban centers. How we adapt will be crucial to the future success of these cities. "Urbanized" introduces a lot of interesting topics, gives them a cursory look, and leaves you with a lot to think about. KGHarris, 2/12.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Overview of Urban Design Challenges and Innovative Solutions for Our Modern Cities.
14 Mar 2012
Format:DVD
"Urbanized" is the third film in Gary Hustwit's Design Trilogy, which examines the design behind things that we rely upon every day, beginning with "Helvetica" (2007), about one of the world's most ubiquitous fonts, followed by "Objectified" (2009), about the industrial design of everyday objects. "Urbanized" looks at the issues that modern urban design must meet in our increasingly populated cities. Urban design is such a complex subject that an 85-minute film can hardly do it justice, so "Urbanized" offers an overview of the challenges and innovative solutions facing the world's cities, whose population is expected to increase by 50% in the next 40 years.
At the beginning of the 20th century, 10% of the world's population lived in cities. At the end of the 20th century, 50% did. In 40 years, it is expected to be 75%. The pace of urbanization has been such that one-third of new urban dwellers live in slums without basic amenities. This clearly presents huge challenges for urban designers, strains resources, and strains people's ability to adapt. "Cities are always the physical manifestations of the big forces at play: economic forces, social forces, environmental forces," as the film says. Urban design is also unique in that it is collaborative, an ongoing project in which architects, developers, government agencies, the public, and various interest groups work with and against each other to create the world in which we live.
"Urbanized" speaks with architects and urban designers on five continents, as it explores issues of housing, transportation, energy consumption, and popular opposition to building projects. Any one of these topics would require its own film to impart an understanding of the issues involved and to look at successful solutions. "Urbanized" introduces us to these subjects but covers some issues better than others. A tour of Bogatá, Columbia's transportation solutions with former mayor Enrique Peñalosa is fascinating, while the film barely touches on energy and sanitation innovation. I didn't enjoy "Urbanized" as much as "Helvetica", partly because a documentary about one font has enough time to really cover the subject, whereas "Urbanized" is cursory, but it is thought-provoking.
At the beginning of the 20th century, 10% of the world's population lived in cities. At the end of the 20th century, 50% did. In 40 years, it is expected to be 75%. The pace of urbanization has been such that one-third of new urban dwellers live in slums without basic amenities. This clearly presents huge challenges for urban designers, strains resources, and strains people's ability to adapt. "Cities are always the physical manifestations of the big forces at play: economic forces, social forces, environmental forces," as the film says. Urban design is also unique in that it is collaborative, an ongoing project in which architects, developers, government agencies, the public, and various interest groups work with and against each other to create the world in which we live.
"Urbanized" speaks with architects and urban designers on five continents, as it explores issues of housing, transportation, energy consumption, and popular opposition to building projects. Any one of these topics would require its own film to impart an understanding of the issues involved and to look at successful solutions. "Urbanized" introduces us to these subjects but covers some issues better than others. A tour of Bogatá, Columbia's transportation solutions with former mayor Enrique Peñalosa is fascinating, while the film barely touches on energy and sanitation innovation. I didn't enjoy "Urbanized" as much as "Helvetica", partly because a documentary about one font has enough time to really cover the subject, whereas "Urbanized" is cursory, but it is thought-provoking.
Very interesting and very well made
18 April 2012
Format:DVD
Great film. The 85 minutes went by quickly, I was riveted the whole time. Well made with very interesting people. And wow, they interviewed some amazing people!
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