In No More Play: Conversations on Urban Speculation in Los Angeles and Beyond, American architect Michael Maltzan traces the transformations that have taken place in the city of Los Angeles since the early 1990s.
This is a beautifully produced book full of intriguing insights — definitely worth a look.
Through a series of conversations with the city’s leading artists and intellectuals, Maltzan explores such issues as real-estate speculation and future urban development, infrastructure, resources, site density, urban experience, political structure, commerce and community, attempting to transform our understanding of how each affects present-day Los Angeles.
Intended to facilitate further dialogue on how to define the “City of Angels” at a moment when its identity is in significant flux, No More Play includes contributions by Iwan Baan, Catherine Opie, Sarah Whiting, Charles Waldheim, Matthew Coolidge, Geoff Manaugh, Mirko Zardini, Edward Soja, James Flanigan, Charles Jencks and Qingyun Ma.
The Architect’s Newspaper writes that “No More Play is full of provocative insights, and it tries to spur fresh thinking without offering easy answers.”
The Arch Daily calls it “a very engaging book for anyone interested in Los Angeles and shaping the future of cities in general.”
A video presentation of Maltzan speaking on these topics at University of Southern California last year can be found here.