Street Level: Los Angeles in the Twenty-First Century

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Human Geography, Sociology, Urban
Cover of the book Street Level: Los Angeles in the Twenty-First Century by Rob Sullivan, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Rob Sullivan ISBN: 9781317049173
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: April 1, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Rob Sullivan
ISBN: 9781317049173
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: April 1, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

In the latter part of the C20th, a series of seminal books were written which examined Los Angeles by the likes of Reyner Banham, Mike Davis, Edward Soja, Allen Scott, Michael Dear, Frederick Jameson, Umberto Eco, Bernard-Henri Levy, and Jean Baudrillard which have been hugely influential in thinking about cities more broadly. The debates which were generated by these works have tended to be very heated and either defensive or offensive in approach. A sufficient amount of time has since passed that a more measured approach to evaluating this work can now be taken. The first section of this book, 'Contra This and Contra That', provides such a critique of the various theories applied to Los Angeles during the last century, balancing the positive with the negative. The second part of the book is an investigation of L.A. as it exists on the ground today. While political, the theoretical stance taken in this investigation is not mounted as a platform from which to advocate a particular ideology. Instead, it encompasses cultural as well as economic issues to put forth a view of L.A. which is coherent and cogent while at the same time considering its multi-layed, complex and ever-changing qualities. It concludes by arguing that sectored off and 'totalizing' visions of the city will not do as instruments of urban analysis and that only a theory as mobile as its target will do: one that replicates the polymer nature of this place. It proposes that, extending that theory to the world beyond this particular city, only a theory that models itself on the mobile and polymer nature of the world, while still retaining a sense of the actual and the real, will do as an instrument with which to comprehend the world. In doing so, this book is not only a model by which to think through Los Angeles, but as a model by which to think through other world cities.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the latter part of the C20th, a series of seminal books were written which examined Los Angeles by the likes of Reyner Banham, Mike Davis, Edward Soja, Allen Scott, Michael Dear, Frederick Jameson, Umberto Eco, Bernard-Henri Levy, and Jean Baudrillard which have been hugely influential in thinking about cities more broadly. The debates which were generated by these works have tended to be very heated and either defensive or offensive in approach. A sufficient amount of time has since passed that a more measured approach to evaluating this work can now be taken. The first section of this book, 'Contra This and Contra That', provides such a critique of the various theories applied to Los Angeles during the last century, balancing the positive with the negative. The second part of the book is an investigation of L.A. as it exists on the ground today. While political, the theoretical stance taken in this investigation is not mounted as a platform from which to advocate a particular ideology. Instead, it encompasses cultural as well as economic issues to put forth a view of L.A. which is coherent and cogent while at the same time considering its multi-layed, complex and ever-changing qualities. It concludes by arguing that sectored off and 'totalizing' visions of the city will not do as instruments of urban analysis and that only a theory as mobile as its target will do: one that replicates the polymer nature of this place. It proposes that, extending that theory to the world beyond this particular city, only a theory that models itself on the mobile and polymer nature of the world, while still retaining a sense of the actual and the real, will do as an instrument with which to comprehend the world. In doing so, this book is not only a model by which to think through Los Angeles, but as a model by which to think through other world cities.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book United States Foreign Policy and Economic Reform in Three Giants by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book Your Organization: What Is It For? by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book Standards and Expectancies by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book Developing Healthy Stepfamilies by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book The Political Economy of Natural Resources and Development by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book The Basic Fault by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book Latin America's Neo-Reformation by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book The Ashgate Research Companion to Black Sociology by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book Growing-Up Modern by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book Academic Quality Handbook Rb by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book Naval Strategy in Northeast Asia by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book Methodologies of Embodiment by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Christian Clients by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book Reflection in Learning and Professional Development by Rob Sullivan
Cover of the book The Challenge of Apartheid: UK–South African Relations, 1985-1986 by Rob Sullivan
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy