Inventing Autopia: Dreams and Visions of the Modern Metropolis in Jazz Age Los Angeles

by Jeremiah B.C. Axelrod

In 1920, as its population began to explode, Los Angeles was a largely pastoral city of bungalows and palm trees. Thirty years later, choked with smog and traffic, the city had become synonymous with urban sprawl and unplanned growth. Yet Los Angeles was anything but unplanned, as Jeremiah B.C. Axelrod reveals in this compelling, visually oriented history of the metropolis during its formative years. In a deft mix of cultural and intellectual history that brilliantly illuminates the profound relationship between imagination and place, Inventing Autopia shows how the clash of irreconcilable utopian visions and dreams resulted in the invention of an unforeseen new form of urbanism―sprawling, illegible, fractured―that would reshape not only Southern California but much of the nation in the years to come.

Genres: Cities

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Solomon J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely lengthy but incredibly detailed. It really painted a minds eye of what was going through the initial planners plans as Los Ángeles.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former resident of Southern California who has often wondered how did the L.A. area get to be so congested, so disorganized, and so bogged down with freeways, Jeremiah B.C. Axelrod's fascinating new book, Inventing Autopia: Dreams and Visions of the Modern Metropolis in Jazz Age Los Angeles provides some answers.

Contrary to popular belief, the sprawl that characterizes the L.A. area did not just spring up in a haphazard fashion. Instead, as Axelrod argues, this pattern of development resulted from the process of conflict over competing visions of the possible. Going back to the early 20's, planners in L.A. were divided between two models. One group sought a concentric model of L.A. with a downtown business zone and outlying areas devoted to small business and residential properties (think of a target with the bull's eye as the downtown region and the series of circles spreading out). The other model followed ..... ideas of establishing "garden cities" or self-contained villages that could serve the needs of residents for employment, shopping and recreation. What resulted from this class ideologies emerged in a postsuburban development.

Axelrod's book is highly readable, engaging and thought-provoking. Recommended for those who struggle each day with every growing commutes, congested communities and development. If you've ever wondered how did it get this way? This is the book for you.

[Walt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the most detailed study I have read regarding urban planning and design. It is an exceptionally well-researched study into the unique formation of Los Angeles. Some of the best chapters described popular urban utopias, as envisioned ca. 1900-1920. These included enormous skyscraper-lined roads criss-crossed by smaller roads going through the buildings. This model influenced many cities, and Axelrod specifically refers to New York and Chicago.

The planners in Los Angeles preferred to focus on their city's strongest attribute which was the sleepy, warm atmosphere of a cottage or bungalow near the ocean, allowing residents to enjoy the weather all around. To support this vision, they focused on a lesser well-known model known as garden cities. The idea was that each small community would be self-sufficient by focusing on local businesses rather than a major urban metropolis. A splendid system of boulevards would connect the garden cities and maintain the quaint appearance of the ideal city. The reality was that real estate speculators, aided by politicians, profited from loopholes with regards to development along the boulevards. The result was that commerce focused along the boulevards instead of the garden cities. This system is richly described in the sections focusing on Wilshire Boulevard.

The writing is academic and often times difficult to follow. Axelrod wisely broke up each chapter into manageable sections for easier reading, browsing, and digestion. The story could have been told adequately in half of the space, so much of the book appears to be filler. The Introduction and conclusion are difficult in that they are more theoretical in nature whereas the text is grounded in fact/ history. Ultimately, the reader is better served by not reading those sections. Overall, the book is easier to read than similar tomes on urban planning and design. By focusing on roadways instead of all types of infrastructure, Axelrod makes the study more readable, while telling a good story at the same time.

[Charles Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing look at Los Angeles in the early 20th century.