Los Angeles--the place without a sense of place, famous for sprawl and overdevelopment and defined by its car-clogged freeways--might seem inhospitable to ideas about connecting with nature and community. But in Reinventing Los Angeles, educator and activist Robert Gottlieb describes how imaginative and innovative social movements have coalesced around the issues of water development, cars and freeways, and land use, to create a more livable and sustainable city. Gottlieb traces the emergence of Los Angeles as a global city in the twentieth century and describes its continuing evolution today. He examines the powerful influences of immigration and economic globalization as they intersect with changes in the politics of water, transportation, and land use, and illustrates each of these core concerns with an account of grass roots and activist responses: efforts to reenvision the concrete-bound, fenced-off Los Angeles River as a natural resource; "Arroyofest," the closing of the Pasadena Freeway for a Sunday of walking and bike riding; and immigrants' initiatives to create urban gardens and connect with their countries of origin. Reinventing Los Angeles is a unique blend of personal narrative (Gottlieb himself participated in several of the grass roots actions described in the book) and historical and theoretical discussion. It provides a road map for a new environmentalism of everyday life, demonstrating the opportunities for renewal in a global city.Robert Gottlieb is Henry R. Luce Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College in Los Angeles. He is the author of Environmentalism Unbound: Exploring New Pathways for Change (MIT Press), Forcing the Spring: The Transformation of the American Environmental Movement, and other books.

Moshe Safdie is an innovative and original voice in architecture and urban design The third volume in a highly successful set of titles Explores how architects can mitigate the effects of high-density urban living and enhance the quality of life in our cities and neighbourhoods Safdie Architects is an international architectural and urban planning practice founded and led by Moshe Safdie. Deeply committed to the creation of architecture that responds to local and regional characteristics of landscape, climate, cultural heritage, and contemporary life, Safdie is recognised for creating welcoming buildings and public spaces that contribute in meaningful ways to their setting while catalysing a vibrant public life. Safdie is a comprehensive volume that traces the evolution of Safdie's planning and design work over the past 50 years, with a complete chronology of projects since the inception of his wide-ranging and influential practice. Organised to follow both thematic and chronological explorations, this monograph is the third volume by IMAGES Publishing to chronicle the work of this prolific architect, urban planner, educator, theorist, and author. Influenced by the diverse cultures of Canada, Israel and the United States, Moshe Safdie's architecture displays a richly evolving tectonic and spatial sensibility. A leading practitioner in the field, during several decades of practice Safdie has designed public institutions, housing and mixed-use complexes, including the highly acclaimed Habitat project, and has developed designs for both existing urban districts and entirely new cities.