A bandaged Jack Nicholson often comes to mind when I think of Los Angeles. The water wars that inspired Chinatown also gave rise to the current state of Owens Lake, the focus in mammoth's collective discussion of The Infrastructural City for the past week (links to each participating site are included below). I've been enjoying their exchange of information and ideas on urbanism, landscape, ecology, planning, design, technology, sustainability, infrastructure, policy, and social justice. The book's unifying theme of networked ecologies reveals the many ways in which these threads intersect.

Barry Lehrman, author of the chapter on Owens Lake, has been answering questions and sharing thoughts about the past, present, and future of the area. Martin Zehr discussed his experience working towards a progressive water management plan in New Mexico. He expressed concern over the effects of water infrastructure on local ecosystems, including the threat to citizens' rights. After reading about the removal of the Paiute, the shady dealmaking, and the desertification of a region once known as the "Switzerland of California," it became clear that Owens Lake is more than an interesting human-produced ecosystem in need of redesign. It is also an example of injustice over water in connection with urbanization around the world.



The concept of networked ecologies adds a socio-political dimension that is often missing from discussions on technology and design. This is particularly useful when considering implementation. Without social and political backing, even the most brilliant plans never become more than documents, renderings, and models. Finding ways of preventing the abuse of power and realizing socially just, ecologically responsible development is essential. The discussion started by mammoth addresses this from a variety of perspectives. I'm looking forward to the next round!

List of posts on Owens Lake:
dpr-barcelona: From Dust Problems to Towing Icebergs
Infrascape Design: Writing 'Infrastructure of the Void'
faslanyc: Bring Me the Sunflower so that I Might Transplant it into Burning Fields of Alkali...
Free Association Design: Problematic Surfaces and Collateral Urbanism: Reading into the Owens Lake Parable
Peter Nunns: The Density of Unresolved Ideas
mammoth: Wyoming is in Los Angeles
Nam Henderson: Preserving the Integrity of the Void 

Credits: Photo of Jack Nicholson in Chinatown from Encyclopedia Britannica. Documentary on the Los Angeles water wars from yipleyap.