ICW Comparative Cities Group

Moderator:

Mark Wild, Cal State LA

Description:

Over the past several decades, Los Angeles has received unprecedented attention from urbanists, and the city now nurtures a community of urban scholars as active as any in the country.  Yet some members of this community argue that Los Angeles studies remains categorized as a particular variant of urban studies.  The comparative cities working group is primarily interested in bringing scholars together to explore the historical and other connections between Los Angeles and other cities around the country and the world -- to explore how the study of Los Angeles contributes to a broader understanding of urban structures, systems, cultures, and history, and to explore how the study of those aspects of other urban regions can inform our understanding of Los Angeles.  The group also expects to place other western American cities in comparative analysis with urban centers in other parts of the world.

Members (to be posted):