A new series of exhibitions being organized by the Getty Trust around the subject of LA's modern architectural history includes a significant blind spot, says Christopher Hawthorne. He outlines the prequel necessary to understand the whole story.
Billed as a continuation of the Getty's seminal "Pacific Standard Time" series of exhibits staged two years ago, "Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A." (PSTP) covers roughly the same postwar period in seeking to document the evolution of modern architecture in Los Angeles. This time constraint, explains Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne, is the source of both "the blind spots and the major potential of the series."
"Modern architecture in L.A., after all, got started well before 1940. And it exhausted itself — or was upended by impatient revolutionaries of various kinds — long before 1990," he says. "What that means is that the Getty-sponsored shows will be looking at modernism in Los Angeles from its middle age through its dotage."
While the 1970s and 80s present fertile ground for new scholarship, much is missed by starting the clock in 1940. Hawthorne presents a short, but necessary, prequel to the show by explaining the contributions of Henry and Charles Greene, Irving Gill, Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, and others.
FULL STORY: Southern California architecture: the missing early years from PSTP

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

Rethinking Computing: Researchers Tackle AI’s Energy Demands
USC researchers are reimagining how AI systems are trained and powered — through smarter algorithms, innovative hardware, and brain-inspired designs — to dramatically reduce computing’s energy footprint.

Amazon-Owned Robotaxis to Begin Testing in LA
Los Angeles will become the sixth city where Zoox is testing its autonomous vehicle technology.

New York MTA Says No More Borrowing, Will Cut Costs Instead
The agency says it won’t take out any new loans to finance its planned improvements and is finding other ways to cut costs.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions