Routledge - Street Level: Los Angeles in the Twenty-First Century

Street Level: Los Angeles in the Twenty-First Century offers a measured evaluation of the urban landscape and the influential thinkers who shaped our understanding of the city. During the latter part of the 20th century, a series of seminal books examined Los Angeles through the lenses of figures such as Reyner Banham, Mike Davis, Edward Soja, and Michael Dear. These works generated heated debates that influenced how scholars think about cities on a global scale. This book provides a necessary perspective on those historical academic discussions. By taking a balanced approach, it reviews the theories presented by thinkers like Umberto Eco, Bernard-Henri Levy, and Jean Baudrillard. It moves beyond the defensive or offensive stances of previous eras to provide a thoughtful analysis of Los Angeles as a central study in urbanism. This text is an essential resource for those interested in architecture, landscape, and the evolving study of metropolitan environments.