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Arts & Communication Integrating films in city planning and urban design

moments underscores the tension between the personal reimagined in various films, producing distinct urban
and the professional lives of the characters in the vast portrayals shaped by different genres, directors, and
urban environment of Los Angeles. When it comes to studios. These varied representations contribute to a
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Narrative Settings, these settings within a film are not just richer understanding of urban dynamics and highlight
backdrops but integral to the storytelling. They reflect the the diverse ways cinematic narratives can reflect and
characters’ emotional and psychological states and the influence urban environments. 15
urban environment’s sociopolitical context. In Metropolis, Both cinema and cities are quintessential symbols of
the towering cityscape represents industrialization’s modernity, emerging at the end of the 19 century and
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grandeur and oppressive nature. The urban decay and flourishing throughout the 20 century. Filmmakers and
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gentrification themes in Chungking Express are conveyed urban designers share the role of creating and curating
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through the vibrant yet chaotic setting of Hong Kong. environments, whether fictional or real, and their work is
Similarly, in City of God (Cidade de Deus) , the favelas of fueled by a collective imagination. This interplay results
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Rio de Janeiro are depicted as dynamic yet perilous spaces, in the development of surreal models and innovative
shaping the characters’ lives and destinies. Finally, through ideas that captivate urban dwellers and moviegoers. The
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the key urban narrative setting, Broken Flowers explores reciprocal relationship between cinema and urbanism
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themes of isolation and introspection through a journey raises intriguing questions: does the city inspire cinematic
across various urban and suburban landscapes in search sets, or does cinema shape our vision of future cities?
of meaning and connection. Geographical sequencing This dynamic interaction is evident in how films depict
of scenes contributes to the film’s pacing and narrative
flow, especially in urban settings. In Taxi Driver, the current or speculative urban realities, reflecting and
journey through the gritty, nocturnal streets of New York inspiring urban phenomena in a continuous cycle of
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City mirrors the protagonist’s descent into isolation and influence. This continuous exchange underscores the
madness. Before Sunrise explores Vienna’s picturesque importance of considering both mediums as integral to
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and historic locales to accentuate the fleeting and understanding and shaping modern urban experiences.
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romantic nature of the encounter between the two main In the 20 century, that brought forth a multitude of urban
characters. Inception showcases shifting architectural concepts and manifestos that significantly influenced our
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landscapes of dreamscapes that reflect the complex urban environment, Le Corbusier’s Plan Voisin proposed
layers of the protagonists’ mission and the instability a transformative urban layout for Paris, advocating for
of their reality. Similarly, Do the Right Thing utilizes a functional separation and the construction of modern
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Brooklyn neighborhood’s vibrant and tense atmosphere to high-rise buildings. Colin Rowe and Fred Koetter’s
underscore the escalating racial tensions and the impact of Collage City critiqued the rigidity of modernist planning,
a single hot summer day on the community. promoting a more fragmented and eclectic approach to
urban design that embraces historical references and the
In recent years, interdisciplinary approaches complexities of urban life. Rem Koolhaas’s Manhattanism
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combining theories of space and urbanism have celebrated Manhattan’s chaotic and dynamic nature,
fostered significant interest in cinematic urbanism. viewing it as a model for urban experimentation and
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This convergence has brought together film scholars, density. At the same time, Paul Virilio’s Overexposed City
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urban planners, geographers, and architects to explore explored the impact of speed and technology on urban
the multifaceted relationships between cinema and spaces, emphasizing how rapid communication and media
cities. It is essential to recognize that neither cinema have altered our perception of the city. Charles Jencks’s
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nor cities are monolithic entities; each presents multiple writings on postmodern architecture in The Language
narratives and interpretations across different historical of PostModern Architecture highlighted architectural
periods and global contexts. For example, cities such design’s symbolic and eclectic elements, stressing the
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as New York, Paris, and Mumbai are continuously importance of diversity and the blending of styles. Ignasi
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de Solà-Morales’s concept of Terrain Vague focused on
28 Chungking Express (1994). Wong, K. W. (Director). Jet Tone the neglected and ambiguous spaces within urban areas,
Productions. Hong Kong.
29 City of God [Cidade de Deus] (2002). Meirelles, F., & Lund, K. championing their potential as sites for creativity and
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(Directors). O2 Filmes. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. transformation. Similarly, Denise Scott Brown, Robert
30 Broken Flowers (2005). Jarmusch, J. (Director). Focus Features. Venturi, and Steven Izenour’s Learning from Las Vegas
New York, NY, USA. emphasized the value of vernacular architecture and the
31 Before Sunrise (1995). Linklater, R. (Director). Castle Rock
Entertainment. Vienna, Austria. lessons that can be learned from the everyday landscapes
32 Inception (2010). Nolan, C. (Director). Warner Bros. Los Angeles, of commercial strip development, advocating for a more
CA, USA. inclusive and observational approach to urban design. 25
Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 5 doi: 10.36922/ac.4130