Describe the way each film (My Brooklyn, Citizen Jane, Human Scale) and the lecture presentation (Healing Spaces: Marching On! Blackness and the Spatial Politics of Performance) discuss public space and its role in cities. Which notion of public space appeals to you? How to you feel about public space in New York City?

The films My Brooklyn, Citizen Jane and Human Scale as well as the special lecture, Healing Spaces: March On! all encompassed the role of cities and public space in their respective cities. In “My Brooklyn,” this film showcased how gentrification and the up-scaling of downtown Brooklyn dramatically changed the neighborhood and the fight to preserve its history. Citizen Jane addressed the idea of the city spaces being “about the people, not buildings” and defined the changing of the city to be a “sacking of cities.” The film, Human Scale addressed the renovating of New York City with the idea of making the city more conducive to modern life. This film bought up the notation of “you measure what you care about,” which resonated with me as I believe this statement is true on all levels from personal to governments and cities. All three films showed the resistance bought about in each circumstance and the people fighting on both ends. In the special lecture, the Marchign CObra also utilized public spaces for their practices and their final performance to make a statement.  Not only did they showcase a beautiful performance but the public space in which they chose to perform un also helped to convey their message. The notations of “sacking of cities” and “measure of what you care about” appeals to me because I enjoy the public spaces in New York and I found it interesting to see how we got these places in the midst of roaring skyscrapers. I especially enjoy the public spaces in Times Space (shown in Human Scale) as I have used these spaces before to sit and relax among the business of Times Square, I find it beautiful to see the stark contrast.