Cinematic urbanism: Understanding cities through film

Abstract

This reflective paper explores the unique relationship between cinema and urbanism, illustrating how films offer a rich and multifaceted lens for understanding urban environments. Reflecting on a range of films, particularly Blade Runner and The Truman Show, the paper demonstrates how cinema captures and critiques cultural and social norms, represents urban spaces, and influences perceptions of architecture and urban design, especially in pedagogical contexts within urbanism university programs. These two movies have also been chosen as they represent paradigmatic cases on which analysis of new and post-urbanism has been done in urbanism studios. The paper emphasizes the pivotal role of films in shaping and reflecting our understanding of urban environments. The main crux and objective of the paper is the exploration and highlights of the educational value of films in urban studies, particularly within two master’s programs, offering insights into cities’ spatial dimensions and reflections on urban forms’ social life. The study integrates key scholarly perspectives and new cinematic urbanism pedagogics (a seven-step methodology developed in the studios). By weaving together these perspectives, this essay underscores the multifaceted relationship between cinema and urbanism, demonstrating how films can serve as powerful tools for understanding and shaping urban environments and the complex social life of urban forms. The paper ends with general conclusions and recommendations for policy and practice.

Keywords

Cinematic urbanism / Urban spaces / Cityscapes / Psychogeography / Urbanism studios / Film storytelling / The Truman Show / Blade Runner