In1960JaneJacobs’sbookTheDeathandLifeofGreatAmericanCitiessentshockwavesthroughthearchitectureandplanningworlds,withitsexplorationoftheconsequencesofmodernplanners’andarchitects’reconfigurationofcities.Jacobswasalsoanactivist,whowasinvolvedinmanyfightsinmid-centuryNewYork,tostop“masterbuilder”RobertMosesfromrunningroughshodoverthecity.ThisfilmretracesthebattlesforthecityaspersonifiedbyJacobsandMoses,asurbanizationmovestotheveryfrontoftheglobalagenda.ManyofthecluesforformulatingsolutionstothedizzyingarrayofurbanissuescanbefoundinJacobs’sprescienttext,andaclosesecondlookatherthinkingandwritingaboutcitiesisverymuchinorder.Thisfilmsetsouttoexaminethecityoftodaythoughthelensofoneofitsgreatestchampions.