Storefront Manitoba Playlist is a monthly curated list of films, podcasts, and other resources that aim to entertain, inspire, enrich, and advance critical discussion.
The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in major changes in urban life and city centres. It has raised major questions about how to design and plan for a city in the 21st century. Can the pandemic act as a reset? A fresh start for urban design? The SfMB August Playlist will transport you to different cities and countries exploring a wide range of innovative design and planning. Be inspired by cities designed for people, for bikes, for climate change, for local businesses, and for the future.
CITIZEN JANE
2016 | 94 Minutes
This film retraces the battles for the city as personified by Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses, as urbanization moves to the very front of the global agenda. Many of the clues for formulating solutions to the dizzying array of urban issues can be found in Jacobs's prescient text, and a close second look at her thinking and writing about cities is very much in order. This film sets out to examine the city of today through the lens of one of its greatest champions.
URBANIZED
2011 | 86 Minutes
Over half the world's population now lives in an urban area, and 75% will call a city home by 2050. But while some cities are experiencing explosive growth, others are shrinking.The challenges of balancing housing, mobility, public space, civic engagement, economic development, and environmental policy are fast becoming universal concerns. Yet much of the dialogue on these issues is disconnected from the public domain.
THE FUTURE OF CITIES
2017 | 18 Minutes
What does “the future of cities” mean? Too much of the developing world, it might be as simple as aspiring to having your own toilet, rather than sharing one with over 100 people. To a family in Detroit, it could mean having non-toxic drinking water. For planners and mayors, it’s about a lot of things — sustainability, economy, inclusivity, and resilience. Most of us can hope we can spend a little less time on our commutes to work and a little more time with our families. For many companies, the future of cities is simply about business and money, presented to us as buzzwords like “smart city” and “the city of tomorrow.”
CITIES ARE NOT LOUD: CARS ARE LOUD
2021 | 17 Minutes
Urban noise is a common problem, and the vast majority of it is created by motor vehicles. Noise is far too often dismissed as a minor nuisance, rather than the legitimate health issue that it is. The book "Curbing Traffic" has a chapter about the health impacts of noise pollution. I explore the research in the book, and visit Delft, the city that is highlighted in the book as being a shining example of what can happen when noise pollution is taken seriously.
DESIGNING FUTURE CITIES:
A DIFFERENT LENS
2019 | 10 Minutes
Australia’s population is growing faster than anticipated. But are we ready to handle it? The changing pattern of incoming migrants is changing the social, cultural and economic lives of our communities, and only with smart planning can we prepare for the coming decades. However, history says that the problems we have today, we’ll have tomorrow. We’ll always have to deal with political barriers, conservatism, resources constraints and the slow uptake of technology. How we navigate around them will have a profound impact on how we reimagine cities for the future.
THE URBANIST: Hopes for 2021
2021 | 35 Minutes
With an influential audience of city mayors, urban planners and architects, this is Monocle’s guide to making better cities, be it new technology, state-of-the-art subways or compact apartments. This episode We ask a collection of city-makers, thinkers and doers to describe their hopes for urban life this year.
CITY OF THE FUTURE: Flexible Streets
2020 | 26 Minutes
The pandemic has forced us to reexamine and reimagine how we use one of our most precious public spaces: our streets. From outdoor dining to expanded bike lanes, cities have been re-designing streets so they can be better shared by all — drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike. But could we take this idea even further? What if we could use design and technology to make our streets more flexible? So they could change use according to the season, the week, or even the hour? In our season finale, we explore a future where city streets can do just that — and better respond to all of our needs.
FUTURE CITIES CANADA
Future Cities Canada is a collaborative platform that harnesses the momentum for change already in progress in cities. It brings together people, ideas, platforms and innovations from across sectors to address two of the most pressing issues of our time: inequality and climate change and their consequential challenges facing cities. Future Cities Canada’s unique collaborative infrastructure aims to accelerate innovation to build regenerative, inclusive cities of the future. Take a look at a variety of resources, from toolkits to research papers.