Dolores Hayden reviews the urban history of Los Angeles in terms of cultural landmarks. She identifies her goal of re-inserting lost ethnic histories back into downtown Los Angeles, while making ethnic identities more visible in general. She challenges the modernist and pop culture histories of L. A. made popular by Charles Moore and Rayner Banham. Hayden describes “The Power of Place,” a project in collaboration with UCLA graduate students documenting the economic development of the city. She chronicles the Biddy Mason’s struggle for livelihood in a changing Los Angeles, and the commemorative Biddy Mason Park. Hayden describes three projects in collaboration with artists, preservationists and the public dealing with making the complex social history of Los Angeles visible. She argues that social history, preservation, and architecture should merge. She stresses the importance of understanding both the built and natural environments as social, economic, and physical products.