Preface to ebook edition. Utopias float above us beyond reach. This expansion of the 1982 book is the first to “systematically describe how a metropolis could become ecologically stable.” It asserts that utopia is practical and creates jobs. My first expression of this notion was the 1978 poster “Whole Systems Transformation,” whose text is included here under the “Sensual Cities” heading. Within a month of its publication I began walking across the United States, entirely on foot, from Boston to San Diego. This hike game me a half year to step outside normal life, to consider broadly how the United States might transform toward balance with nature.
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Los Angeles: A History of the Future was originally published in 1982 as an article in Raise the Stakes, by the Planet Drum Founda-tion. Thanks to Peter Berg, founder of bioregionalism, who applauded this effort. This new edition is extensively revised and expanded. During the 30 years since its publication I’ve started more than a dozen organizations and campaigns which model these changes. First of these was Citizen Planners of Los Angeles, dedicated to ecological urban design. That group has continued as the Eco-Home Network, led by pioneer member Julia Russell. Los Angeles EcoVillage is another fine embodiment of this plan, started by member Lois Arkin, a lifelong co-op proponent. The astonishingly detailed paintings of this transformation are by Tom Slagle, from 1993. paulglover.org