Episode 104: Everything Is Bad

Mike Davis's "Planet of Slums" offers a stark portrayal of global urbanization and its consequences. The book argues that rapid urbanization, particularly in developing countries, has led to the proliferation of vast informal settlements characterized by poverty, inadequate infrastructure, and social exclusion. Davis analyzes the historical and economic forces driving this phenomenon, highlighting the role of neoliberal policies and globalization. He critiques the failures of governments and international institutions to address the needs of slum dwellers, emphasizing the urgent need for alternative approaches to urban development. The book's powerful imagery and compelling narrative have made it a seminal text in urban studies and development discourse.

In this book, Mike Davis counterpoints Los Angeles’s central role in America’s fantasy life with its denial of its own real history. He explores how the city has been depicted in numerous novels and films as a place of disaster, while also delving into the real ecological and social issues it faces, such as earthquakes, wildfires, floods, and droughts. Davis draws upon a vast array of sources to create a revelatory kaleidoscope of American fact, imagery, and sensibility, capturing the nation’s violent malaise and desperate social unease at the end of the 20th century. The book includes a new afterword from 2021, reflecting on LA's 21st-century challenges.