Restoring urban landscapes with family films: using citizen archives to prototype sustainable smart cities
Abstract
Restoring urban landscapes with family films: using citizen archives to prototype sustainable smart cities
Restoring Urban Landscapes with Family Films (RULFF) is a 20-month artistic research pilot that redefines the "Smart City" by looking at its past to inform its future. While contemporary smart city initiatives often rely heavily on sensors and real-time data, this project utilizes personal citizen archives — specifically Super 8, VHS, and Hi8 family films — to trace lost urban qualities and social histories. By contrasting these intimate, street-level memories with contemporary urban reality, RULFF aims to envision sustainable smart cities that prioritize resident well-being, social connectivity, and green mobility (HM3 : Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities).
The project operates through the collection and digitization of community-contributed films, creating a digital portal that traces the evolution of local neighborhoods. Through the production of comparative film essays and storytelling workshops, the initiative aims to bring together filmmakers from all ages and local communities, turning personal heritage into a tool for co-creation. These activities culminate in a public film festival featuring student films and professional cinema, designed to spark meaningful dialogue between filmmakers, researchers, local stakeholders, and the general public. Ultimately, RULFF demonstrates how historical moving images can serve as inspiration for more human-centric urban environments, ensuring that the smart cities of tomorrow are built upon the lived experiences and social fabrics of yesterday.
BIO
