Exclusive Pre-Release Screening | 9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero

After the 9/11 attacks, once the smoke cleared and the rubble was removed, New Yorkers faced a fundamental question: who gets to decide the future of Ground Zero? Some wanted the towers back, while others believed the site should remain a memorial. So the city decided to do one of the bravest—or stupidest—things in the history of city planning. They gathered 5,000 representative New Yorkers into the largest town hall in American history. People expected chaos, yelling, maybe even a fistfight. But what happened was democracy. And guess what? It was beautiful.

At a time when people are losing faith in democracy, this story is more than an inspiration; it’s an example of what is possible. And it’s a lesson that good democratic outcomes require good democratic processes.

Join us for an exclusive pre-release screening of 9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero, followed by a panel discussion and dialogue featuring:

Carolyn Lukensmeyer – founder of AmericaSpeaks, designer of Listening to the City, featured in the documentary

Robbie Shinder – producer of 9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero

Tiffany Muller Myrdahl - director of Urban Studies Program, Simon Fraser University

Maged Senbel - associate professor at the School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia

Moderated by: Aftab Erfan - executive director of dialogue and engagement, Simon Fraser University

Sunday, April 12, 2026

6:00pm

SFU Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema

149 West Hastings Street

Carol Lukensmeyer is a nationally recognized leader in democratic innovation and public engagement and founder of AmericaSpeaks. She has advised cities, states, federal agencies, and international institutions on participatory governance and democracy reform. After 9/11, Lukensmeyer helped design Listening to the City, the 2002 public forum that brought New Yorkers together to shape the rebuilding of Ground Zero.

Robbie Shinder is a producer at Matters Media. His work includes The Basement Talks and 9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero, as well as projects such as This Ordinary Thing, The Choice, Once Upon a Time in Queens, In Her Element, and Wrong Man. His projects have been distributed across major platforms including Amazon, PBS, ESPN, and BET.

For purposes of documentation this event may be photographed, audio recorded, and/or filmed. By attending this event, you consent to such recording media and its release, publication, exhibition or reproduction.

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This event is co-presented by SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue + SFU LIVE.

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