American Suburbia

A pioneering short documentary film from 1939 that contrasts the problems of the contemporary urban environment with the superior social and physical conditions that can be provided in a planned community.

Improvement of living conditions in 1940s New York City through the construction of public housing. Though ultimately a plug for the New York City Housing Authority, this film begins as a "story about a city -- this city."

A study of our increasing urban population. Departing from the usual statistics and the sociological problems which are a result of the cities' growth, we learn that by observing what the workers of the city do, we can find out why the city grew. Producer: Encyclopaedia Britannica Films. Length: 00:09:08. Audio: Mono. Color: BLACK & WHITE.

Building a steel mill from scratch and a city for its workers (Levittown, Pa.). Producer: Jam Handy Organization. Sponsor: U.S. Steel Co. Year: 1953. Length: 00:24:51. Audio: Mono. Color: BLACK & WHITE.

Advocates urban redevelopment and renewal, 1950s-style. Supports many planning strategies which are criticized today: the destruction of "blighted" neighborhoods in the name of progress, autocentric planning and construction, and suburban sprawl. Producer: Baskaw (Frederick J). Sponsor: Chamber of Commerce of the United States.

Home builders decry unplanned suburban sprawl, 1950s-style. Sponsor: Urban Land Institute, National Association of Home Builders. Year: 1959. Length: 00:16:01. Audio: Mono. Color.