Since 2002, more than 100 rezonings have been signed into law in New York City, including the rezoning of 125th Street in Harlem.

REZONING HARLEM follows longtime members of the Harlem community as they fight a 2008 rezoning that threatens to erase the history and culture of their legendary neighborhood and replace it with luxury housing, offices, and big-box retail. A shocking exposé of how a group of ordinary citizens, passionate about the future of their treasured community, are systematically shut out of the city’s decision-making process, revealing New York City’s broken public review system. This film provides a behind the scenes view of how policy affects gentrification, resulting in homogenous neighborhoods devoid of character.

Filmmakers' Statement:
"The 125th Street rezoning was an intense time line; we were uptown in Harlem, we were downtown at City Planning and City Hall, talking to as many people as we could and filming as much as possible. We worked closely with community members and urban planners to unravel the often cryptic planning language and navigate through the various steps in the city's land use process. We focused on historic preservation, small businesses, housing and displacement, height limits, the connection between the real estate industry and politics, and the over-arching theme: the community of Harlem that was left out of the planning process."