This video documents the National AIA Regional Urban Design Conference “Restructuring Urbanisms: the Next L.A.,” held February 10-13, 1994, at Shutters Hotel, Santa Monica.

An event organizer welcomes the audience to the “Restructuring Urbanisms: the Next L.A.” symposium,” outlines the topics and introduces some other participants. Kevin Starr argues that the Los Angeles region will be reborn in the near future.

Kevin Starr reviews the background of the Los Angeles region, arguing that different conquests have drastically changed the natural and cultural environment. He compares Los Angeles to Boston and San Francisco, describing how the DNA of each city continues to play a role in their development.

Kevin Starr describes the earliest U.S. settlements in Los Angeles. To clarify the development and infrastructure patterns of Los Angeles, he compares L.A. with Chicago.

Kevin Starr analyzes some stereotypical views of Los Angeles. He stresses the networks that define Los Angeles, and the cyclical economy. Starr compares Los Angeles’s search for an identity to Jay Gatsby’s.

Kevin Starr responds to questions from the audience, on the image of Los Angeles, the instability of that image, the horizontality of Los Angeles, and Pacific Rim development.