Comments on: Las Vegas’ Dilemma: America’s, Only More So

By: Mary Newsom

Mary Newsom — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:42:26 +0000

In looking at Las Vegas’ multiple dilemmas (resources, foreclosures, economy) I’m struck by what may be a coincidence, but I suspect it isn’t. A recent Wall St. Journal article (Oct. 21 or 22?), which mentioned Las Vegas as the leading foreclosure city in the U.S., then mentioned the cities with comparatively small foreclosure problems: Portland, Seattle, Denver, Boston, Raleigh. Hmmm. Don’t those cities also top the “Where Young People Want To Live” lists? Are those two things – low foreclosures, high attraction for young creatives – related? Does one cause the other? Which would be the cause, which the effect?

By: charles torrence

charles torrence — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:29:34 +0000

Las Vegas has no alternative but to reduce water consumption: look at the level of Lake Mead, then look at the ridiculous waste of water at the Lake Las Vegas project and other master planned communities in the region.

By: Neal Peirce

Neal Peirce — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:39:34 +0000

Reader Schneider (second above) would do well to check Tom Downs’ eloquent Citiwire column on where we put out investments in America– a point relevant both to major rail and local rail systems. Here’s the link:
http://citiwire.net/post/1391/

By: Nathan Landau

Nathan Landau — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:32:53 +0000

How can there be a “green” development site in Las Vegas, a city with minimal mass transit and which has the highest rate of per capita water consumption in the country, despite its reliance on rapidly dwindling desert aquifers? Las Vegas seems to have taken point position in an increasingly important American “industry”–greenwashing.

By: Jerry Schneider

Jerry Schneider — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:56:29 +0000

You said: “Much is fluid, but it seems pretty clear now that the next economy must require reforms and new investments in infrastructure, innovation (especially in energy), education, and sustainability. Nationally, a major new partnership between Washington and U.S. metros is necessary to make the most of America’s place in it”.
I wonder why you didn’t mention transportation. We are spending huge amount of money on urban rail systems that carry very few people in relation to the total daily travel in a metro area. There are many reasons for this but one of the main ones is: you can’t get there from here on MASS TRANSIT – out cities are too spread out and will be for a very long time. Our most pressing transport problems are within our urban regions. Yet, we see calls for intercity, high speed rail and Obama is giving them his unquestioned support. What a waste of money and they will do little to deal with intra-urban transport problems where the need is very great. There are lots of better ways to provide high levels of mobility, with far fewer negative effects, in our urban areas and they are described at : http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans

By: David Fuller

David Fuller — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:09:06 +0000

I have a different take on Las Vegas as a consuming economy, although I admit to knowing very little about LV. My personal resolution of the paradox during this crisis–in which we are encouraged to spend to reawaken the economy while at the same time reduce our overspending/overconsumption–within a hostile environment–where making, using, and throwing away things threatens the climate. It would seem Americans could be encouraged to “consume” the good life (experiences that include eating out, partaking of entertainment, and traveling) rather than things. In this sense, LV (and presumably other places more conducive to a truly good life) could maintain some version of its economy.

By: Ralph Craft

Ralph Craft — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:35:25 +0000

Las Vegas might be better positioned for exports and growth than you think. Tourism from other nations is a major US export, and with the current (and future) decline in the dollar cities like Las Vegas and Orlando become cheaper for foreigners to visit.