ABSTRACT
The politics of planning pervades the region, although the smaller cities seem to have better success in developing coherent envisioning strategies and managing the inherent conflicts created by competing projects. The Pacific Electric and Los Angeles Railway lines covered more than 1,100 miles, reaching from San Bernardino to Santa Monica, Santa Ana to San Fernando, creating the skeleton of the modern metropolis. A narrowly drawn specific plan does exist for the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District, but it barely includes the area affected by the proposed football stadium. The Friends of the Los Angeles River have suggested that a river that looks like a river is only a small start in connecting life to work and play and establishing Los Angeles as the Garden of Eden to which Topping alludes. Disney Hall, MOCA, the Los Angeles Cathedral, and the Colburn School represent together an array of finely designed, very usable spaces.
