Brooklyn Matters reveals how a few powerful men tried to tilt the Brooklyn landscape in favor of big real estate at the expense of urban livability. Disregarding time-honored urban planning principles and manipulating a desperate need in the African-American community for jobs and affordable housing, they pushed their own interests forward--luxury housing and a 20,000 seat sports arena. The film poses vital, timely questions that are relevant to cities across the country: What is the proper use of eminent domain? What role does environmental and economic justice play in government-sponsored projects? Who does represent the community? Should traffic-intensive projects be approved without mandatory mitigation measures? Should taxpayer money go to acquire private property for a sports arena? What and who determines if an area is "blighted?" Does the public have a right to know about the use of public finances in large-scale real estate projects?