Architecture and the American dream

On a grand scale, Whitaker examines the ways in which our architectural eclecticism is rooted in the democratic notion of individual liberty upon which this country was founded. From New York to St. Louis to Los Angeles and all of the towns in between, these shared values have created a landscape that at first appears chaotic but is, in fact, remarkably homogeneous.

The grid plan of most American cities, he argues, connotes equality and a refusal to acknowledge the hierarchies of the past, while issues of privacy and public display permeate the orientation of our homes and streets. And the open road has been raised to the level of cultural icon, expressing ideas unique to this country - ideas of mobility and freedom, progress and communication.

By continuously peeling away the layers of meaning that clearly signify nationally shared obsessions, Whitaker lucidly documents the way in which America has grown and developed, for better and for worse.