Citizen Jane: Battle for the City

[projekktor id=’27761′]

Directed by Matt Tyrnauer, Citizen Jane: Battle for the City is a documentary looks at Jane Jacobs’ bold ideas towards city planning in her New York neighbourhood of Greenwich Village and her opposition New York’s “master builder” at the time, Robert Moses.

Citizen Jane: Battle for the City is a story about our global urban future, in which nearly three-fourths of the world’s population will live in cities by the end of this century. It’s also a story about America’s recent urban past, in which bureaucratic, “top down” approaches to building cities have dramatically clashed with grassroots, “bottom up” approaches. The film brings us back mid-century, on the eve of the battles for the heart and soul of American cities, about to be routed by cataclysmically destructive Urban Renewal and highway projects.

The film is screening at the TIFF Bell Lightbox starting April 21, and Films We Like has partnered with the Toronto chapter of Jane’s Walk to hold a special opening night event. Ken Greenberg, urban designer, teacher, author, and former Director of Urban Design and Architecture for the City of Toronto, and former Toronto Mayor Barbara Hall will lead a Jane’s Walk from Victoria Memorial Square (10 Niagara St.) to the theatre beginning at 5:30pm. There will also be a post-screening panel discussion with special guests Amanda Lewis (Charlie’s FreeWheels), Hibaq Gelle (Premier’s Council on Youth Opportunities), a speaker from Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust (PNLT), moderated by Zahra Ebrahim (Co-Leader of Doblin Canada).

For more information visit TIFF’s website here.

Citizen Jane: Battle for the City is rated G.