By Kazembe Balagun Film directors Vivian Vázquez Irizarry and Gretchen Hildebran have the good sense to know that movements move forward by looking backwards. That’s perhaps why their documentary Decade of Fire, which examines the Bronx arson crisis of the 1970s, feels more like an intervention in contemporary housing struggles than a simple walk down memory lane. The … [Read more...] about BEYOND BRONXSPLOITATION: DECADE OF FIRE
CHICAGO’S HISTORY OF ZONING AGAINST AFFORDABLE HOUSING
By Marco Rosaire Rossi On May 20th, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot introduced an ordinance that would legalize various forms of accessory dwelling unit (ADUs) in Chicago. The introduction of the ordinance was highly anticipated. Since launching its ADU initiative in August of 2019, Chicago’s Urban Land Institute had been pushing for zoning changes to improve Chicago’s … [Read more...] about CHICAGO’S HISTORY OF ZONING AGAINST AFFORDABLE HOUSING
REVIEW OF: “A PEOPLE’S ATLAS OF DETROIT” BY LINDA CAMPBELL, ANDREW NEWMAN, SARA SAFRANSKY, AND TIM STALLMANN
By Lisa Berglund In popular discourse, the city of Detroit’s reputation is one of lawless frontier, destituteness and above all, exceptionalism. Countless news stories have painted Detroit as a place of poverty, violence and crime, with much emphasis placed on the city’s 2013 bankruptcy and mass water shut offs that have called for the UN’s involvement as a human rights … [Read more...] about REVIEW OF: “A PEOPLE’S ATLAS OF DETROIT” BY LINDA CAMPBELL, ANDREW NEWMAN, SARA SAFRANSKY, AND TIM STALLMANN
DISPOSSESSED AND DISPENSABLE – A VISUAL REFLECTION ON COVID-19 AND THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
By Manal Massalha In these uncertain, worrying times of aggressive, intrusive pandemic, practices such as maintaining basic hygiene, social distancing, self-isolation, and working from home, are rendered indispensable to slowing the spread of the virus and keeping ourselves and others safe. While for some, adhering to rules provides an opportunity to unwind, reflect, read, … [Read more...] about DISPOSSESSED AND DISPENSABLE – A VISUAL REFLECTION ON COVID-19 AND THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
A SLOW BURN: A REVIEW OF THE HOTTEST AUGUST
By Kelly Anderson In 1960, the French ethnographic filmmaker Jean Rouch and sociologist Edgar Morin roamed the streets of Paris, asking citizens “How do you live?” and “Are you happy?” Their experiment, which became the classic cinema vérité documentary Chronique d’un Eté (Chronicle of a Summer), revealed a society deeply anxious about the future, its inhabitants … [Read more...] about A SLOW BURN: A REVIEW OF THE HOTTEST AUGUST