New York: A Documentary Film (1999)

Episode Overview

This narrative traces New York City's dramatic journey through the turbulent opening decades of the twenty-first century, beginning in the wake of September 11th. As the city reconstructed and reimagined itself on an astonishing scale, it emerged as the definitive model of a global "superstar city" during what one academic terms the "new urban age." Along the way, New York confronted universal urban challenges—infrastructure, governance, immigration, social justice, and equity—while simultaneously facing an extraordinary cascade of world-altering crises: political, economic, environmental, and now pandemic. Each crisis proved distinct, existential, and global in scope, demanding the city's remarkable resilience, ingenuity, and collective dedication—and each, in its own way, casting doubt on the very future of cities.