“UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGES”
A documentary film about using New York City’s “Urban Doom Loop” as a springboard for social and economic change
Almost 75 million square feet of vacant office space is now haunting New York City as the workforce takes a stand on continuing to work from home following the pandemic. That’s the equivalent of 26 Empire State Buildings. Wealthy building owners face unprecedented losses in the value of their properties. And we depend on the taxes from the wealthy for our public services.
This film asks how can we use this unprecedented moment in history to create fundamental change in the way our society and economy functions? Can we become less centralized, less hierarchical, more interdependent, more equitable, more connected, and more collaborative? Can New York become a model for transforming society?
Empty buildings in New York City expose the system of dependency between the people, the wealthy corporations, and the government. This film explores the possibility of stepping outside this dramatic triangle and collaborating to build community wealth.
- Why is this happening?
- What does this mean for the future of New York’s economy?
- What can be done with all that space?
- Public tax revenue generated by these commercial offices will decline by 20-30% within the next 3 years. This will negatively impact schools, public housing, fire trucks, pensions, policing, trash collection, parks, transportation, care for the elderly and homeless, and and “so much else that makes life in New York tolerable”.
Our reliance on the wealthy is putting us at risk.
We are asking New Yorkers “What if there is something we can do about it?”