Contested Streets: Breaking NYC Gridlock is the result of a creative partnership initiated by the New York based activists Transportation Alternatives and the film-makers Cicala Filmworks, who have collaborated to produce a full length documentary film that explores the rich diversity of New York City street life before the introduction of automobiles -- and then goes on to show how New York can follow the example of other modern cities that have reclaimed their streets as vibrant public spaces. Contested Streets features new footage of reclaimed streets in London, Paris and Copenhagen and interviews with New York and New Mobility savvy notables such as Ken Jackson, Mike Wallace, Bob Kiley, Majora Carter, Kathryn Wylde, Enrique Peñalosa, Jan Gehl, James Howard Kunstler, Eric Britton, and many more -- who help us to make our way through the morass of problems, resistances and opportunities that all our cities face. For more information on the film and DVD go to