Brooklyn Matters  reveals how a few powerful men are trying to tilt the Brooklyn landscape in favor of big real estate at the expense of urban livability.  They have disregarded time-honored urban planning principles and manipulated a desperate need in the African-American community for jobs and affordable housing to push their own interests forward--luxury housing and a 20,000 seat sports arena.

The film poses vital, timely questions that are relevant to cities across the country:  What is the proper use of eminent domain?  What role does environmental and economic justice play in government-sponsored projects?  Who does represent the community?  Should traffic-intensive projects be approved without mandatory mitigation measures?  Should taxpayer money go to acquire private property for a sports arena?  What and who determines if an area is "blighted?"  Does the public have a right to know about the use of public finances in large-scale real estate projects?