Date and Time
- Thursday, Aug 6, 2026 6pm - 8pm
Location
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 3rd St
Details
This witty and original film, the visual counterpart to William H. Whyte’s seminal book of the same name, The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces is about the open spaces of cities and why some of them work for people while others don’t. Beginning at New York’s Seagram Plaza, one of the most used open areas in the city, the film proceeds to analyze why this space is so popular and how other urban oases, both in New York and elsewhere, measure up. Based on direct observation of what people actually do, the film presents a remarkably engaging and informative tour of the urban landscape and looks at how it can be made more hospitable to those who live in it.
Experience this newly restored version of the seminal, and delightful, exploration of civic design and architecture.
The screening will be followed by a moderated conversation that takes Whyte’s film and research as a jumping off point for exploring the different ways artists and designers “read” a city, as well as how urban design can shape and shift community.
