Whenever any such ordinance shall be passed by the legislative authority of any such city for the making of any improvement authorized by this chapter or any other improvement that such city is authorized to make, the making of which will require that property be taken or damaged for public use, such city shall file a petition in the superior court of the county in which such land is situated, in the name of the city, praying that just compensation, to be made for the property to be taken or damaged for the improvement or purpose specified in such ordinance, be ascertained by a jury or by the court in case a jury be waived.