The Cultural Reshaping of Los Angeles

In this reflection on the new book "Los Angeles in Maps", James Rojas wonders what shape the city will take in the near and far future.

1 minute read

November 13, 2010, 1:00 PM PST

By Nate Berg


"The book's historical and archival maps of Los Angeles give a powerful account of the city's growth and development, highlighting how topography, policies, resources and infrastructure systems shaped L.A.. The maps start with the Spanish ranches and L.A.'s early street grid, and move from there to early rail maps that predict the region's development patterns. Small towns surrounded by farms were located along rail lines. Oil wells and movie studios grew around those towns and shaped how we used our resources. All this helped create our messy, vibrant urban sprawl.

Today, it is impossible for any single policy, resource, or system to reshape L.A. the way those early systems did because we are just too massive in scale. We also no longer have plentiful tracts of empty land, nor the capital to build major projects. (Or, maybe we just built the wrong major projects, like massive housing on former orange groves at the urban edge?)."

Rojas argues that while infrastructure largely guided the form of the city throughout its history, ethnic and cultural diversity are playing a bigger role today in reshaping the city.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 in KCET

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

White Waymo autonomous car driving fast down city street with blurred background at night.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars

Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

June 16 - Smart Cities Dive

Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

June 16 - Governing

People riding bicycles on separated bike trail.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

June 16 - UNM News