Inspired by the theories of Danish urban planner Jan Gehl, this 2013 documentary travels to a variety of cities around the world — New York, Christchurch, Chongqing — to explore ways that urban design is being rethought in the wake post-WWII planning initiatives that privileged motor vehicles ahead of people and created alienating, costly, unhealthy and inefficient urban environments.
With urban populations skyrocketing world-wide, we face a choice of either planning much more smartly than we have in the past, or going bankrupt as we’re overwhelmed with infrastructure needs that leave huge masses of humanity leading much diminished lives.
The Human Scale screens at the RPL Theatre Thursday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Friday and Sunday at 9 p.m. Here’s the trailer: