"Lays bare many of the challenges facing our nation's cities today, but none so compelling as the threat to democracy. Who benefits? Who pays? Most importantly, who decides?"
Gregory D. Squires, Professor of Sociology,
Public Policy, and Public Administration,
George Washington University
"Of all the protesting voices and hundreds of thousands of words in opposition to the proposed Atlantic Yards development, nothing is as convincing as Isabel Hill's excellent film."
-Stuart Perz, FAIA
Former Member of the New York City Planning Commission
“It can be difficult to clearly communicate to the public the relevant details and urgency of such a complex and fraught project. For this reason, Brooklyn Matters is particularly welcome; the film is a clarion call on an issue of great significance.”
-Richard Moe,
President
National Trust for Historic Preservation
“A powerful documentary by a well-respected filmmaker, Brooklyn Matters is a must see for all New Yorkers who care about the future of their neighborhoods and the role that public policy and process plays in determining that future.”
-Marilyn Gelber, Former Commissioner
New York City Department of Environmental Protection
“It wasn’t until viewing Isabel Hill’s film that I realized the true scope of what is at stake for the future of Brooklyn in proceeding with the development of the Atlantic Yards in its present form.”
-Carmi Bee, FAIA
RKT&B Architects & Planners
“In Brooklyn Matters, Isabel Hill presents a dramatic, incisive, and clear-eyed portrait that cuts through the heated rhetoric over Atlantic Yards to expose its core issues. Everyone with a concern for New York City’s future should view this film.”
-Robert Lake
Professor Center for Urban Policy Research
Rutgers University
“Brooklyn Matters is a remarkable film that slowly, quietly, calmly reveals the extreme ugliness at the heart of one of the most ill-conceived mega-development schemes in New York history.”
-Francis Morrone
Architectural Historian
"Isabel Hill’s revealing documentary about the proposed Atlantic Yards project takes an honest look at the complex role that race, class, power, and money play in the redevelopment of our communities and calls for a more open discussion about equitable urban development."
-Stacy Sutton ,
Assistant Professor of Urban Planning
Graduate School of Architecture
Planning and Preservation
Columbia University
“A powerful look and indictment of how red-carpet treatment for big real estate substitutes for any real planning skill or capacity by public agencies in New York City.”
-Jon Orcutt, Director
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
“Brooklyn Matters is a passionate film about the city’s soul. In this film we meet people who are struggling to understand the costs and benefits of the biggest mixed-use project to hit New York City in years. The film’s empathy with their need for housing and jobs makes Brooklyn’s challenge come alive for viewers in all cities of the world.”
-Sharon Zukin, Professor of Sociology
City University of New York
“This brilliant, eye-opening film focuses needed attention on the most crucial development issues of the day.”
-Roberta Brandes Gratz
Author