Urban Film Screening: "This Space Available"

Penn IUR Public Interest Series

Billboards and commercial messages dominate the public space like never before. Are the efforts to reverse this trend signaling a movement? In This Space Available, Marc Gobé (Emotional Branding) and his daughter, Gwenaëlle Gobé, bring energy and urgency to stories of people around the world fighting to reclaim their public spaces from visual pollution. From 240 hours of film, 160 interviews, and visits to 11 countries on five continents, This Space Available charts a fascinating variety of struggles against unchecked advertising and suggests that more than aesthetics is at stake. It highlights and questions the influence of the built environment and media messaging on the dignity of cities and well-being of individuals.

Penn IUR, the Center for Public Health Initiatives, and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics held a screening and discussion with Marc Gobé. Introductory comments by Amy Hillier, Assistant Professor in City and Regional Planning, PennDesign.

This event was free and open to the public.