The Spaces of Everyday Urbanism in Los Angeles

This paper will consider the spaces of everyday urbanism in Los Angeles and its Southern California context.  In particular, it will emphasize the public spaces of the city as a setting for the formation of informal ecomomic networks and exchange, particularly among Southern California's immigrant population.  Through such common practices as street vending, day labor, and swap meets, Southern Calfiornians are redefining the experience of public space and reinventing the meanings of the (sub)urban built environment.