The Future of Cities
John Hill
13. Dezember 2016
Cheonggyecheon Stream, Seoul (Photo: Screenshot)
New York-based filmmaker Oscar Boyson, with the help of The Nantucket Project, ventured around the world to meet architects, planners, thinkers, government officials, and citizens in order to get a sense of where cities are heading.
From his travels he created the 18-minute video The Future of Cities. Although not a short short film by today's standards, it is a quick watch, thanks to Boyson's fast-paced editing, upbeat music, and short segments on individual cities. Boyson starts in Songdo, Korea – the world's largest private real estate development, planned by KPF – then moves to Detroit, Los Angeles (speaking with David Hertz about harvesting water through solar power), Shenzhen, Seoul, Mumbai, Singapore, Copenhagen, and of course his home city of New York. With so many cities in such a short time, Boyson barely scratches the surface on the commendable efforts of individuals and groups who want to make cities better places to live.
So what is the future of cities? In the end Boyson does not have a clear-cut answer. But how could he with such a difficult question, a question that is about trying to figure out the answer rather than the answer itself – if one even exists. Boyson's attempt to grasp the future of cities by looking at the efforts of people today is a fun ride that viewers will want to take.