During two weeks in September popular VPRO programs such as Buitenhof, Andere Tijden, Draadstaal, Tegenlicht, Villa VPRO, Metropolis and Holland Doc all focus on the issue of urbanization. VPRO produces and broadcast five television documentaries in co-production with the IABR, five radio documentaries and five internet productions, including the audio-visual archive Open City (with radio broadcasts since 1926 and film since 1913), and the dedicated website eeuwvandestad.nl (not online anymore). This website contains citizens’ input on how to improve life in the city, a web log and guidelines by artists for special city walks.
Program
Urban Century
How the World Becomes a City
- from September 13, 2007 to September 30, 2009
- Credits
We are living in the Urban Century. Currently, more than fifty percent of the world population is living in cities – many of them in slums - and cities are continuing to grow. The VPRO considers this reason to both look back and to look ahead, to connect thinking about the future of the city with experiences from the past. Which factors define the quality of life in cities? How does urban life take shape and how can we improve it? In a number of new productions, VPRO explores various new ideas and perspectives on the city.
Urban Century presents audio and video content about cities in several new ways. On the website most programs are made available on demand in high resolution and accessible through the use of keywords. All radio and television programs on the city are available as free downloads and pod casts during the exhibition Open City: Designing Coexistence in the NAI.
Most programs are in the Dutch language or subtitled in Dutch.
