In my 12 years in Portland, I've come to appreciate the qualities of what sets it apart from other cities in the United States. I had an opportunity to study cities in depth while attending the urban planning graduate program at Portland State U from 2001-2006. Using Portland as our lab, we sliced an diced our way through topics and issues related to place-making, resource management, neighborhoods dynamics, transportation modeling and systems, public involvement and negotiation, statistics and GIS software, site analysis and design, community development, and the various functions of non-profit networks. After 5 1/2 years of study, I graduated from the "2-year" - 80 credit hour program. I know now when I watch the documentary on Newark, NJ, "Brick City", that Portland is but a child's playground compared to the torrential waves that rock the community there. The term "eye-opening" is a great understatement.
Sure, it's difficult to draw the comparisons between these places on a technically descriptive level. After all, Portland and the Newark are on polar opposite sides of the continent; we have unique geographies, demographics, economies all weaving together unique cultural perspectives that define the character of a place. However, one could also argue that at the basic human level, we are similar in many other ways. For example, we are urbanites that wish to feel secure in our homes, feel secure about the local economy and our place within, an ability to exercise personal rights and freedoms related to religion and race, as well as other basic freedoms. What really seems to distinguish the Brick City from the Rose City are the dire challenges faced by citizens driven to action by the out of their sense of sheer frustration. For a generation or more, the overwhelmed communities of Newark are faced a serious choice: pull together to reduce crime and poverty or allow the lawless to continue eating it alive.
A new award-winning documentary, "Brick City" chronicles the activities of Newark's enigmatic mayor, Cory Booker and the municipal apparatus' attempt to control the city's crime. Rarely have I seen a film so effective in it's approach. Indeed, it delivers a front row seat to the drama underway in Newark. I suspect part of my personal interest lies in the director's choice to weave sweeping, gratuitous shots of the city into the narrative. The metaphor of the city's physical condition in connection to the tenuous sense of happiness and hope amongst the people is poignant and stark. If there was ever a brilliant technique using cameras to define the qualities of a place, Marc Levin and Mark Benjamin have hit the jackpot. "Brick City" makes you sit up and take stock in what is possible when people teeter on the brink. Watch and learn, Portland!
Check out Executive Producer Forest Whittaker's, Brick City! For those with Netflix, you're there. For those looking for more basic info, try this link on:
http://www.sundancechannel.com/brick-city/
Explore, Diggable Monkey. Oo Oo!
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