New Urban Cowboy
Encyclopedia
New Urban Cowboy: Toward a New Pedestrianism is a 2008 documentary film
, and DVD release, about American
artist and urban designer Michael E. Arth
, his New Pedestrianism
movement, and his efforts to rebuild the cities, beginning with “Cracktown,” an inner city slum in DeLand, Florida
. This 83-minute international edition—with subtitles in Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Chinese—was re-edited from a 100-minute version that made the film festival circuit in 2007. The earlier version was titled New Urban Cowboy: The Labors of Michael E. Arth.
with work opportunities as a solution to homelessness
. The film also follows the development of his urban design philosophy, New Pedestrianism
, and ends on an upbeat, optimistic note with a vision for the future. There is also a section, documented with archival footage, which chronicles Arth’s early life and struggles as a surfer, artist, builder, and home/urban designer.
(NP) is a more idealistic variation of New Urbanism
in urban planning theory, founded in 1999 by Michael E. Arth
. NP addresses the problems associated with New Urbanism and is an attempt to solve various social, health, energy, economic, aesthetic, and environmental problems, with special focus on reducing the role of the automobile. A neighborhood or new town utilizing NP is called a Pedestrian Village
. Pedestrian Villages can range from being nearly car-free to having automobile access behind nearly every house and business, but pedestrian lanes are always in front.
in 2008. Academic reviews about Arth’s urban design philosophy, New Pedestrianism
, as expressed in the movie (and elsewhere) were also highly favorable.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, and DVD release, about American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist and urban designer Michael E. Arth
Michael E. Arth
Michael E. Arth is an American artist, home/landscape/urban designer, public policy analyst, advocate for the homeless, futurist, and author. He was a candidate for the governor of Florida in 2009 and 2010.-Art:Michael E...
, his New Pedestrianism
New pedestrianism
New Pedestrianism is a more idealistic variation of New Urbanism in urban planning theory, founded in 1999 by Michael E. Arth, an American artist, urban/home/landscape designer, futurist, and author...
movement, and his efforts to rebuild the cities, beginning with “Cracktown,” an inner city slum in DeLand, Florida
DeLand, Florida
DeLand is the county seat of Volusia County, Florida. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 24,375. It is part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 436,575 in 2006...
. This 83-minute international edition—with subtitles in Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Chinese—was re-edited from a 100-minute version that made the film festival circuit in 2007. The earlier version was titled New Urban Cowboy: The Labors of Michael E. Arth.
Plot
Modern-day polymath Michael E. Arth and his pregnant wife, Maya, travel on a cross-country trek from Santa Barbara, CA—where they lived in a spacious villa surrounded by waterfalls—to a ruined and dangerous neighborhood in a small town in Florida. Arth buys 32 homes and businesses, and turns the slum into downtown DeLand’s “Historic Garden District.” With guns that shoot nails and staples instead of bullets, and with gentle persuasion instead of violent confrontation, he pushes out the drug dealers and other criminals, and then creates a retrofitted model for how to build new towns and neighborhoods. Arth also proposes building a Pedestrian VillagePedestrian Village
A pedestrian village is a compact, pedestrian-oriented neighborhood or town, with a mixed-use village center, that follows the tenets of New Pedestrianism. Shared-use lanes for pedestrians and those using bicycles, Segways, wheelchairs, and other small rolling conveyances that do not use internal...
with work opportunities as a solution to homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
. The film also follows the development of his urban design philosophy, New Pedestrianism
New pedestrianism
New Pedestrianism is a more idealistic variation of New Urbanism in urban planning theory, founded in 1999 by Michael E. Arth, an American artist, urban/home/landscape designer, futurist, and author...
, and ends on an upbeat, optimistic note with a vision for the future. There is also a section, documented with archival footage, which chronicles Arth’s early life and struggles as a surfer, artist, builder, and home/urban designer.
New Pedestrianism
New PedestrianismNew pedestrianism
New Pedestrianism is a more idealistic variation of New Urbanism in urban planning theory, founded in 1999 by Michael E. Arth, an American artist, urban/home/landscape designer, futurist, and author...
(NP) is a more idealistic variation of New Urbanism
New urbanism
New Urbanism is an urban design movement, which promotes walkable neighborhoods that contain a range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually continued to reform many aspects of real estate development, urban planning, and municipal land-use...
in urban planning theory, founded in 1999 by Michael E. Arth
Michael E. Arth
Michael E. Arth is an American artist, home/landscape/urban designer, public policy analyst, advocate for the homeless, futurist, and author. He was a candidate for the governor of Florida in 2009 and 2010.-Art:Michael E...
. NP addresses the problems associated with New Urbanism and is an attempt to solve various social, health, energy, economic, aesthetic, and environmental problems, with special focus on reducing the role of the automobile. A neighborhood or new town utilizing NP is called a Pedestrian Village
Pedestrian Village
A pedestrian village is a compact, pedestrian-oriented neighborhood or town, with a mixed-use village center, that follows the tenets of New Pedestrianism. Shared-use lanes for pedestrians and those using bicycles, Segways, wheelchairs, and other small rolling conveyances that do not use internal...
. Pedestrian Villages can range from being nearly car-free to having automobile access behind nearly every house and business, but pedestrian lanes are always in front.
Connection to book
Arth's Garden District project was also an attempt to create a living laboratory in order to try out some of the ideas in a two-volume book that he was writing titled, The Labors of Hercules: Modern Solutions to 12 Herculean Problems.Trilogy
New Urban Cowboy is the first in a series of three documentaries explicating Arth’s ideas about problem solving and future trends. The other two films, scheduled for release in 2010, are The Labors of Hercules: Modern Solutions to 12 Herculean Problems and UNICE: Universal Network of Intelligent Conscious Entities.Reaction
In general, New Urban Cowboy received highly favorable reviews, even in the earlier, film festival version. The documentary was selected for seven film festivals and received the Audience Choice Award at the Real to Reel International Film FestivalReal to Reel International Film Festival
The Real to Reel International Film Festival is held annually in Kings Mountain, North Carolina at the Joy Performance Center. It was founded in 2000...
in 2008. Academic reviews about Arth’s urban design philosophy, New Pedestrianism
New pedestrianism
New Pedestrianism is a more idealistic variation of New Urbanism in urban planning theory, founded in 1999 by Michael E. Arth, an American artist, urban/home/landscape designer, futurist, and author...
, as expressed in the movie (and elsewhere) were also highly favorable.
Filmmakers
- Michael E. ArthMichael E. ArthMichael E. Arth is an American artist, home/landscape/urban designer, public policy analyst, advocate for the homeless, futurist, and author. He was a candidate for the governor of Florida in 2009 and 2010.-Art:Michael E...
: Producer, Cinematographer - Blake Wiers: Editor, Cinematographer
- Helena Lea: Music Editor
See also
- Michael E. ArthMichael E. ArthMichael E. Arth is an American artist, home/landscape/urban designer, public policy analyst, advocate for the homeless, futurist, and author. He was a candidate for the governor of Florida in 2009 and 2010.-Art:Michael E...
- New UrbanismNew urbanismNew Urbanism is an urban design movement, which promotes walkable neighborhoods that contain a range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually continued to reform many aspects of real estate development, urban planning, and municipal land-use...
- New PedestrianismNew pedestrianismNew Pedestrianism is a more idealistic variation of New Urbanism in urban planning theory, founded in 1999 by Michael E. Arth, an American artist, urban/home/landscape designer, futurist, and author...
- Pedestrian VillagePedestrian VillageA pedestrian village is a compact, pedestrian-oriented neighborhood or town, with a mixed-use village center, that follows the tenets of New Pedestrianism. Shared-use lanes for pedestrians and those using bicycles, Segways, wheelchairs, and other small rolling conveyances that do not use internal...
External links
- Official website
- Golden Apples Media
- IMDb entry for New Urban Cowboy: Toward a New Pedestrianism.
- Michael E. Arth’s website
- New Pedestrianism
- Interview with Michael E. Arth
- Review by Greg Dewar in N-Juda Chronicles
- Carbusters Magazine review of New Urban Cowboy, Winter 2007/2008
- Michael E. Arth, “New Pedestrianism: A Bridge to the Future”
- Labors of Hercules website
- UNICE website
- Blake Wiers website