We Love LA! OK, I love LA. . .

I had mentioned in an earlier post ("It Never Rains in California, but We've Got Problems All Our Own," Tuesday, August 12, 2008) that Los Angeles has its own unique set of problems, which warrant its own unique metroppolitan policy, and had presented the summary report published by the USC Southern California Studies Center for their Urban Policy Seminar Series 2001–2002

[Moderated by Antonio Villaraigosa & Jennifer Wolch/ Principal Authors: William Fulton, Jennifer Wolch, Antonio Villaraigosa, Susan Weaver/ Co-Sponsored by USC Center for Sustainable Cities, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate with support from USC Urban Initiative, The John Randolph and Dora Haynes Foundation]

However, I didn't dwell much on the incredible eco-paradox that Los Angeles is and the regional specific circumstances that prompted my shift in focus from urban design and behavior research to sustainable land use. So, here's what intrigues me-

Los Angeles, contrary to popular belief, is NOT a sprawling, oozing organism that will continue to expand like the horror monster the Blob. Useable land is slowly but surely being used up. And along with it the consequences of slash-and-burn development with a disregard for environmental impact are catching up. Although this is a regrettable circumstance that we find ourselves in, I also like to see it as an exciting challenge.

In addition to the the summary report published by the USC Southern California Studies Center for their Urban Policy Seminar Series 2001–2002 my interest in that which we call L.A. was also sparked by a book review of California: the Great Exception, which was written by Carey McWilliams and reviewed by Mitchell Schwarzer in the Harvard Design magazine, Summer 200, Number 11 and Los Angeles: Globalization, Urbanization & Social Struggles by Roger Keil, which was reviewed by Julie-Anne Boudreau in UCLA's spring 1999 issue of Critical Planning.

Yet another disclaimer: I have not read either of the aforementioned books yet, but the reviews of each proved quite informative, enough so that I shifted my master's subject concentration.