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Magic Lands: Western Cityscapes and American Culture After 1940
The American West conjures up images of pastoral tranquility and wide open spaces, but by 1970 the Far West was the most urbanized section of the country. Exploring four intriguing cityscapes―Disneyland, Stanford Industrial Park, Sun City, and the 1962 Seattle World's Fair―John Findlay shows how each created a sense of cohesion and sustained people's belief in their superior urban environment. This first book-length study of the urban West after 1940 argues that Westerners deliberately tried to build cities that differed radically from their eastern counterparts.
In 1954, Walt Disney began building the world's first theme park, using Hollywood's movie-making techniques. The creators of Stanford Industrial Park were more hesitant in their approach to a conceptually organized environment, but by the mid-1960s the Park was the nation's prototypical "research park" and the intellectual downtown for the high-technology region that became Silicon Valley.
In 1960, on the outskirts of Phoenix, Del E. Webb built Sun City, the largest, most influential retirement community in the United States. Another innovative cityscape arose from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair and provided a futuristic, somewhat fanciful vision of modern life.
These four became "magic lands" that provided an antidote to the apparent chaos of their respective urban milieus. Exemplars of a new lifestyle, they are landmarks on the changing cultural landscape of postwar America.
In 1954, Walt Disney began building the world's first theme park, using Hollywood's movie-making techniques. The creators of Stanford Industrial Park were more hesitant in their approach to a conceptually organized environment, but by the mid-1960s the Park was the nation's prototypical "research park" and the intellectual downtown for the high-technology region that became Silicon Valley.
In 1960, on the outskirts of Phoenix, Del E. Webb built Sun City, the largest, most influential retirement community in the United States. Another innovative cityscape arose from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair and provided a futuristic, somewhat fanciful vision of modern life.
These four became "magic lands" that provided an antidote to the apparent chaos of their respective urban milieus. Exemplars of a new lifestyle, they are landmarks on the changing cultural landscape of postwar America.
410 pages, Paperback
First published September 22, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 6, 2008
Americans have always looked west to reinvent themselves. This trend has been constant from the nation's inception throughout the twentieth-century. Western migration brought about growth in urban population and urbanization in general. In Magic Lands Author John M. Findlay argues that planned communities across the west arose to offer alternatives to this unrelenting urbanization. To support his argument he presents four case studies of planned communities: California's Disneyland and Silicon Valley, Arizona's Sun City retirement community and grounds for the Seattle World's Fair. These "magic lands" were sources of recreation, inspiration and optimism for the rest of the country.
Magic Lands begins with a look at the West's rapid growth at mid-century. Findlay credits the military spending of World War II and a post-war boom driven by the G.I. Bill for increasing populations and changing landscapes. New industries-such as Hewlett-Packard in Silicon Valley and Boeing in Seattle-aided this growth by driving the west to new economic heights. With new jobs came an increase in demand for housing and shopping plazas. The result was the "horizontal" urban community, one which sprawled outside of the urban center creating sprawl. Reacting to this eastern-style growth, westerners escaped to planned communities for amusement and alternatives to urban lifestyles.
These alternative visions presented in Magic Lands vary drastically. Walt Disney envisioned Disneyland both as family entertainment and as his example as "the city of tomorrow". Stanford built an industrial center that relied on the surrounding natural geography and climate to draw its workforce. Conversely, Sun City severely altered its surroundings to provide an "ideal" active retirement community. And Seattle converted a run down neighborhood to house it's 1962 world's fair. In each case study, Findlay explores how these areas transformed their adjacent communities geographically, economically and culturally.
But how these Magic Lands were constructed varied drastically. Disneyland was built under the close supervision of Walt Disney, who envisioned his planned community as an example for the entire country, but Stanford's Industrial Park (i.e. Silicon Valley) never had a master plan-simply a goal of building a high tech industrial center. In the case of Sun City, a drive for profit and little else led to the construction of this rich and green retirement community in the Arizona desert. Seattle's World Fair aimed to revitalize its downtown district-and failed. But in each case, the results of these communities influenced national ideas on architecture and urban landscapes.
While Magic Lands does offer a compelling look at these four planned communities, their similarities are tenuous at best. Comparisons of Disneyland to the Seattle World's Fair are sometimes a stretch, while Sun City shares little in common with Seattle. These are vastly different and unique communities. More compelling is Findlay's final chapter that shows the impacts of these communities today in places like Irving and Los Angeles. These planned communities had vast cultural and environmental impacts, and these topics could be covered more in depth. Regardless, Magic Lands will both appeal to and inform those interested in urban development and the growth of the American West.
Magic Lands begins with a look at the West's rapid growth at mid-century. Findlay credits the military spending of World War II and a post-war boom driven by the G.I. Bill for increasing populations and changing landscapes. New industries-such as Hewlett-Packard in Silicon Valley and Boeing in Seattle-aided this growth by driving the west to new economic heights. With new jobs came an increase in demand for housing and shopping plazas. The result was the "horizontal" urban community, one which sprawled outside of the urban center creating sprawl. Reacting to this eastern-style growth, westerners escaped to planned communities for amusement and alternatives to urban lifestyles.
These alternative visions presented in Magic Lands vary drastically. Walt Disney envisioned Disneyland both as family entertainment and as his example as "the city of tomorrow". Stanford built an industrial center that relied on the surrounding natural geography and climate to draw its workforce. Conversely, Sun City severely altered its surroundings to provide an "ideal" active retirement community. And Seattle converted a run down neighborhood to house it's 1962 world's fair. In each case study, Findlay explores how these areas transformed their adjacent communities geographically, economically and culturally.
But how these Magic Lands were constructed varied drastically. Disneyland was built under the close supervision of Walt Disney, who envisioned his planned community as an example for the entire country, but Stanford's Industrial Park (i.e. Silicon Valley) never had a master plan-simply a goal of building a high tech industrial center. In the case of Sun City, a drive for profit and little else led to the construction of this rich and green retirement community in the Arizona desert. Seattle's World Fair aimed to revitalize its downtown district-and failed. But in each case, the results of these communities influenced national ideas on architecture and urban landscapes.
While Magic Lands does offer a compelling look at these four planned communities, their similarities are tenuous at best. Comparisons of Disneyland to the Seattle World's Fair are sometimes a stretch, while Sun City shares little in common with Seattle. These are vastly different and unique communities. More compelling is Findlay's final chapter that shows the impacts of these communities today in places like Irving and Los Angeles. These planned communities had vast cultural and environmental impacts, and these topics could be covered more in depth. Regardless, Magic Lands will both appeal to and inform those interested in urban development and the growth of the American West.
July 31, 2008
The way to read this one is to dip into it. I don't think I've yet read the chapter on Silicon Valley, but the development of Sun City, Arizona, is fascinating.
One of my frustrations with new urbanist writing on the West is that it's often done by Easterners who don't quite seem to understand how we experience our own environment. The Sun City chapter does fit pretty accurately with how people in Phoenix talk about the development and how local retirement-community dwellers talk about their own lives.
One of my frustrations with new urbanist writing on the West is that it's often done by Easterners who don't quite seem to understand how we experience our own environment. The Sun City chapter does fit pretty accurately with how people in Phoenix talk about the development and how local retirement-community dwellers talk about their own lives.
September 13, 2010
The four case studies were well-researched and discussed to a good level of detail. A strong point of the book was discussion of the effect of each development on its surrounding area.
The author remained appropriately diplomatic throughout the conclusion, even though he had set himself up for a Kunstler-esque condemnation of the unsustainable nature of the various western urban forms. This editorial was the only thing missing.
The author remained appropriately diplomatic throughout the conclusion, even though he had set himself up for a Kunstler-esque condemnation of the unsustainable nature of the various western urban forms. This editorial was the only thing missing.
April 11, 2014
The research is there. The expertise is there. His introduction and thesis are somewhat compelling (that the West's somewhat lacking cityscape ends up being defined by these "magic lands"), but it is never fully proven.
He says that each of the magic lands, like Disneyland and the Stanford Industrial Park, end up becoming the downtown, cultural district that the cities had previously lacked... but by saying that these western cities now have downtown districts, he kind of nullifies his previous point that the lack of downtown is what made western cities unique.
Also, being that this book was published over 20 years ago, it would be interesting to see how much of his research still holds up.
He says that each of the magic lands, like Disneyland and the Stanford Industrial Park, end up becoming the downtown, cultural district that the cities had previously lacked... but by saying that these western cities now have downtown districts, he kind of nullifies his previous point that the lack of downtown is what made western cities unique.
Also, being that this book was published over 20 years ago, it would be interesting to see how much of his research still holds up.
November 25, 2012
Case studies are not as strong as they should have been, especially the Seattle study. The historical background and connections to modern development are the highlights, though even there very evident dead ends exist within each of the cities he profiles.
July 15, 2012
A marvellous book, which I have bought to give away a few times now. You think you know a control freak? Read what Walt Disney had in mind.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews