Primary forces shape daily interactions. Interplay is an online journal investigating landscape architecture’s role in city making and the overlapping sphere of influence our profession has on contemporary life. Centered around four key themes of people, urban form, urban nature, and culture, we will showcase the tectonics behind public life and the built environment, as they unfold in Los Angeles and beyond.
In RELM’s inaugural issue of Interplay, we investigate the state of Los Angeles’ urban fabric, an essential quality to any vibrant metropolis. We posit the importance a quality public realm exerts on the branded experience of a city and discuss the successes and shortcomings of LA’s extensive development boom. We draw parallels to the catalytic public works projects of 17th century Paris that today, remain a gold standard for urban design and placemaking, and what changes Los Angeles can make to realize a verdant city of the future.
