We Built This City

Using stop-motion animation, Rob Carter has crafted a video bringing to life the development of Charlotte, NC from a sky-high view.  All images used in “Metropolis” are paper printouts of aerial shots of The Queen City, along with some shots invoking artistic liberty.

The 9 minute long video is a statement on the rapid development of the city and the potential consequences due to the huge dependence on outside corporations and business markets.  Carter’s work “literally represents this sped up urban planners dream, but suggests the frailty of that dream, however concrete it may feel on the ground today… but this is less a warning, as much as a statement of our paper thin significance no matter how many monuments of steel, glass and concrete we build.”

The end hints at desolate days to come, but we can’t help but want to click the buttons to activate natural disasters and monsters a la our Sim City days.  What’s more exciting than when the monster approaches dangerously close to the boat going past a drawbridge?  And it was always so annoying to have the nuclear power plants that we put way out in the corner catch on fire and see the blinking power outage signs all over the city.

Both the video and the game go to show how development has unforeseen costs, and how they just might be in the control of those outside of the city.

[via Selectism]