Globalizing L.A. Trade, Infrastructure, and Regional Development

"This book adds invaluably to knowledge of the regional governance and development, foretelling which places will become smart cities and which will be ghost towns." - San Diego Daily Transcript "Referencing an impressive body of recent academic research, Erie argues that world-class seaport and airport facilities confer substantial economic advantages and more facilitating links between local businesses and the global economy." - The Sacramento Bee "[A] fascinating history of the Los Angeles region's great assets and the forces that that drove their development. . . . One hundred years ago, it was improbable that the Los Angeles region would become the 10th largest economy in the world. In Globalizing L.A., Erie explains how that happened and then, fingers crossed, offers lessons on how California's largest and most diverse city and region can keep playing a leading role." - Los Angeles Times "Although there have been several books about the area [L.A.], largely by geographers of the 'L.A. School,' none has captured the interaction of politics and economic interest in the context of key infrastructure investments as Steve Erie is able to do. His combination of mastery of political, financial, and technical elements of development is outstanding. It will be an important contribution to our understanding of regional development." - Michael B. Teitz, University of California (Berkeley) "Erie has built a potent political-economy of urban development that recognizes the crucial role of the public sector in mediating globalizing processed . . . . and this is a valuable lesson for academics, dockworkers, community developers, and environmental activists alike." - Economic Geography "A significant new contribution to the study of urban development . . .This book will change the way we think about Los Angeles and Southern California. . . It is the next great book on the region." - David Perry, Director and Professor (Great Cities Institute University of Illinois at Chicago) "This is the first major study of L.A.'s trade infrastructure and goes far beyond earlier books on L.A. It will add significantly to the existing literature on urbanization, the impact of globalization on local communities, the emergence of economic regions or city-states, and the history of the Los Angeles region itself." - Earl Fry (Brigham Young University) "In this compelling, exhaustively researched study, Steven P. Erie offers a preeminent example of how global and local energies are converging to create a new kind of global city and a new kind of global economy." - Dr. Kevin Starr (State Librarian of California) "Steven Erie provides a distinctive and persuasive analysis of political strategies that have been central to shaping the growth of the complex Los Angeles region. The book should be of much interest to scholars who are concerned with the development of the L.A. region and the role of semi-autonomous governments in the United States and beyond." - Jameson Doig (Princeton University) "Globalizing L.A. is a major achievement. It contributes importantly to theorizing about urban political science, regional policy studies and public policy." - David J. Olson, University of Washington (Seattle)