Book of the Moment

L.A. Under the Influence by Roger Sherman is

A series of case studies in Los Angeles [in which] Sherman applies game theory to scrutinize the behavior of ... intersecting private and public interests, revealing an alternative logic of architectural composition. Making extensive use of diagrams, photographs, and a range of negotiation models employed within game theory, including pecking order, negotiated access, multilateral exchange, and tit for tat, he identifies the characteristic features and behaviors of this new spatial logic. Sherman contends that it is ... negotiations [between ... stakeholders over the use of property], rather than more commonly accepted factors like history, symbolism, and planning, that not only shape a city but also influence the development of its smallest common increment: the individual parcel. [University of Minnesota Press]

Here are some of the case studies presented in Sherman's book.


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An oil rig and single-family house buffeted by a pocket park (easement).


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Multi-family housing, a palm reader, and a billboard living in harmony with each other.


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A high-wire tower straddling two properties.


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Billboards "as shading device and privacy protector for second-floor apartment roof deck."


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A "no-man's land protruding into the street."


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Oil rigs, a bank, and Curly's Cafe coexisting harmoniously.


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An oil derrick in Beverly Hills camouflaged in a floral pattern.


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Why yes, that is a regulation wiffle ball court.