Filmmaker Gary Hustwit on Urban Development and City Design
The number of streetlamps lighting a neighborhood; the placement
of a bike lane; the creation -- or razing -- of a park: Each
element of the physical environment can be traced to a decision
made somewhere, by someone. In a trilogy of documentaries over
the past six years, Gary Hustwit turns the lens on the design
industry, translating insider wonkiness into delightfully
digestible media by examining the people who dream up and
produce the settings for everyday life. He did it first with
typography (Helvetica, 2007), and then with industrial design
(Objectified, 2009). His final installment, Urbanized, takes on
city design -- an ambitious topic with global implications in a
rapidly urbanizing world. In line with its predecessors, the
film stylishly intertwines stories of human interest with a
basic 101 in urban planning at a pace that's accessible,
enjoyable, and provocative.  Hustwit is an independent media
trailblazer. Through the late '80s and '9