The Reluctant Metropolis: The Politics of Urban Growth in Los Angeles

The Reluctant Metropolis is a well-written and intelligent collection of twelve essays on Los Angeles urban planning in the late 20th century. The book is badly in need of an update (a revised edition was released in 2001, which I have not read), however the essays are minor masterpieces on the history of urban land use and transportation. Specifically, Fulton details the political and economic pressures (and lack of intra-community coordination) that led to the region’s enormous sprawl, limited public transportation. and slow economic growth.