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Lewis Mumford on the City, Part 6: The City and the Future

This short documentary is part of a series hosted by American historian, sociologist, philosopher of technology, and literary critic Lewis Mumford, who was particularly noted for his study of cities and urban architecture. In this episode, Mumford considers the “loss of vitality” that he perceives in contemporary cities that have become crowded and resulted in suburban flight. “The overfilled urban container has burst,” he proclaims. What will become of the faceless, formless contemporary city? This mid-20th century film is a prescient look at today’s urban landscapes.
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This short documentary is part of a series hosted by American historian, sociologist, philosopher of technology, and literary critic Lewis Mumford, who was particularly noted for his study of cities and urban architecture. In this episode, Mumford considers the “loss of vitality” that he perceives in contemporary cities that have become crowded and resulted in suburban flight. “The overfilled urban container has burst,” he proclaims. What will become of the faceless, formless contemporary city? This mid-20th century film is a prescient look at today’s urban landscapes.

Urbanism All subjects
  • director
    Mogens Gander
    Jacques Giraldeau
    Robert Humble
    Kirk Jones
    Derek Knight
    Jean-Claude Labrecque
    Claus Loof
    Ian MacNeill
    Terence Macartney-Filgate
    Doug McKay
    Reginald Morris
    Erik Nielsen
    Bryan Probyn
    Donald Wilder
  • camera
    Mogens Gander
    Jacques Giraldeau
    Robert Humble
    Kirk Jones
    Derek Knight
    Jean-Claude Labrecque
    Claus Loof
    Ian MacNeill
    Terence Macartney-Filgate
    Doug McKay
    Reginald Morris
    Erik Nielsen
    Bryan Probyn
    Donald Wilder
  • producer
    Ian MacNeill
  • script
    Ian MacNeill
  • executive producer
    Guy Glover
  • sound
    Joseph Champagne
    George Croll
    Ted Haley
  • editing
    Rex Tasker
    Margaret Ellis
  • sound editing
    Kathleen Shannon
  • narrator
    Budd Knapp
  • music
    Robert Fleming
  • host
    Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford on the City, Part 6: The City and the Future
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