Two Paths for Havana

In 2019, Friends of Havana collaborated with the British design and media studio Squint/Opera and Cuban architect Carlos Rodríguez to produce a short, animated film titled Two Paths for Havana for the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana. The animation was created as a communication tool to help Cuban planners, policymakers, and citizens reflect on the long-term choices shaping the city’s development.

The film presents two contrasting scenarios for Havana’s future. In the first, the city follows the path taken by many global cities in the late twentieth century: rapid growth in automobile use, uncontrolled development, and an economy dominated by mass tourism. In the second, Havana builds on its existing strengths—its compact urban form, architectural heritage, cultural vitality, and highly educated population—to pursue a more sustainable model of development.

Using simple visual storytelling, the animation illustrates how choices related to transportation, planning, preservation, and economic strategy could profoundly shape Havana’s quality of life in the decades ahead. The project grew directly out of discussions during the Hablemos de La Habana symposium, where participants emphasized the need to increase “urban literacy” among decision-makers and the public about the consequences of different development paths.

The film was designed to support presentations, workshops, and public discussions about Havana’s future, helping to communicate complex urban planning ideas in a fun and accessible way to a broad audience.