Traditional views regarding the impacts that a city and its structure can have on the individuals who live there are generally positive or negative. Take for example the idea of ​​"urbanitas" put forward by Lewis Mumford in his article "What is a City", or the distinctive dichotomy promoted by Alan Trachtenberg between the City of Destruction and the City of Heaven when trying to understand how a city ​​can influence an individual. Both of these arguments are accurate descriptions of what happens in a city, but do not fully describe the true effects of the city environment on human nature and social relationships. Rather, the built environment of the city acts as a catalyst for the individuals who live there, a double-edged sword that has the potential to both protect and harm and to impact positively or negatively, as opposed to simply be one or the other. others, as the work of Mumford and Trachtenberg originally suggested. Article 1: “What is a City” by Lewis Mumford People are attracted to cities because of their utility; it's easier to find things that an individual doesn't necessarily own simply because of the concentration of people in a city. This means that people are obliged to act in communion with others, to adopt “urbanitas” or good behavior when in contact with other humans who also use the city for useful purposes. The built environment of the city requires this change in social behavior. Take for example the product line in which the protagonist of Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times works at the beginning of the film. Even though there is a clear dislike between the film's protagonist and the man next to him, he does everything he can so that Chaplin can do his job. Despite the differences in size evident in the middle of the paper, the fact of living together as well as the greed caused by the overload of this same system, as proposed in “What is a city” by Lewis Mumford. However, the current view of society on these two different impacts that an urban structure causes in the individuals who reside there is that a city can either support one or the other by presenting the image of the City of Destruction or the Celestial City as explained. by Alan Trachtenberg in his article “The Incorporation of America”. However, after careful analysis of how various films such as Wilder's Double Indemnity, Chaplin's Modern Times, and Wyler's Dead End depict these effects, it makes much more sense to depict the effects of a city on its residents in depending on their nature. be like a double-edged sword that offers individuals the opportunity to contribute or hinder their progression in society.