Abstract This eight page paper examines urban sprawl in LasVegas. The author notes that in writing about urban sprawl in LasVegas and analyzing its impact on the city future growth it is evident that environmental and city planning issues must be examined, for successful future growth depends upon better solutions to the problems LasVegas is currently experiencing. The writer further points out that unfortunately the present expansion of the city has been driven by too much of a focus on short term goals, many of which are incompatible with one another.
From the Paper "In writing about urban sprawl in Las Vegas and analyzing its impact on the city's future growth, it is evident that environmental and city planning issues must be examined, for successful future growth depends upon better solutions to the problems Las Vegas is currently experiencing. Unfortunately, the present expansion of the city has been driven by too much of a focus on short-term goals, many of which are incompatible with one another. This has led to urban sprawl, unnecessary traffic congestion, and a host of other problems. Analyzing these issues indicates that the solution to urban sprawl in Las Vegas is to develop the central city first and revitalize the city from within."
Abstract This paper discusses the dynamics of race relations in contemporary LasVegas, from the viewpoint of a Caucasian middle-aged male. The author describes the demographic and political makeup of LasVegas, and the way in which local media has embraced racial and cultural diversity. The author explains, giving specific examples, that from his personal experience, factors such as income and social class appear to racialize human interactions in Vegas more strongly than race alone. Age is also perceived as playing an important part in determining whether the author experiences racial reactions. The paper concludes with the author's belief that within racial minorities, different individuals enter into social interactions with different degrees of preconceived expectations and racialized perspective in LasVegas.
Outline:
Racial Relations in Society
Unique Cultural Elements of LasVegas Personal Experiences and Observations
From the Paper "Conversely, members of racial minorities are likely much more conscious of the degree to which the predominant social culture embraces cultural diversity, both in its formal policies as well as prevailing informal attitudes. This is an issue that affects me more because, to a certain extent, the perceptions among minority cultures about their relationship to society shape their expectations of individual members of the predominant majority in social situations. Likewise, it may very well play a role in the outward attitude of many members of racial minorities expressed to me in personal interactions, although it is sometimes difficult to know the underlying source of substantial variations that likely mean more than many aspects of outward behavior."
Abstract The paper discusses the predominance of poker and gambling within the city of LasVegas and the opportunities this practice offers investors. The paper highlights the profitability of the casinos themselves and how they have also aided in the pull and attraction of LasVegas. The paper shows how LasVegas and poker are a combination which have proved to be a hit to the American public and that of the world.
Outline;
Poker, Gambling, and LasVegas The Tourist Draw of Gambling and Poker
Investments and Opportunities Poker and gambling Presents Vegas Conclusion
From the Paper "Poker has been a hugely successful sporting phenomenon in the United States, with everyone from the college crowd on up through the office environment being affected. This craze however finds its origins within the card-houses and casinos of days past, which the presence of Las Vegas helped to establish. Thus, poker and gambling, being games and pastimes of previous years, has made a great come-back in the form of Las Vegas, to which a vast number of tourists and gamers alike flock each year, to capitalize upon the poker and gambling, the primary draws of the city."
Abstract This paper discusses how the LasVegas Valley, including the cities of LasVegas, Henderson, and North LasVegas, is the fastest growing region in the United States. New tourist attractions and large casino resort hotels are also being built and opened on a regular basis. This paper looks at the three major factors which may have an effect on construction in the LasVegas Valley. The first is summer heat, the second is wind, and the third is flash floods.
From the Paper "Construction in the area is constant. New subdivisions are being built at a tremendous rate to keep up with those who are moving into the area. New tourist attractions and large casino resort hotels are also being built and opened on a regular basis. The city is growing at an exponential rate. The tourist Mecca of Las Vegas is located in a broad desert valley in extreme southern Nevada. Mountains surrounding the valley extend 2,000 to 10,000 feet above the valley floor. The Las Vegas Valley comprises about six hundred square miles and runs from the north to the southeast. These mountains and the metropolitan area's location at the bottom of the valley have extreme effects on the weather."
An exploration of the filmmaker's use of mise-en-scene and iconography to represent space, i.e. LasVegas in the films "Ocean's 11", "Casino" and "Leaving LasVegas".
Abstract This paper discusses how as Hollywood's entertainment counterpart, LasVegas has been screened as a mecca for romance, crime, action and adventure. It shows how with its consumer expenditure and capital gain, its seductive neon lights, together with its surrounding vast desert, make it an ideal space for filmmakers to explore a diverse range of character types and narratives. It analyses how although all set in three different periods of time, the films "Ocean's 11", "Casino" and "Leaving LasVegas" depict very different images of LasVegas. It discusses how each film does this through the director's use of mise-en-scene and iconography and the values it holds and their use of time both outside of the film to create a period of time and within the film to correspond to the film's narrative.
From the Paper "Scorsese depicts a Vegas at a time when organized crime played a pivotal role in the ownership and running of the casinos. Behind the sexy showgirls, the enticing neon lights, the shining slot machines and the lucky blackjack tables, lives an underworld of greed, vengeance and power which he explores in his 1995 film Casino. In 1983, Ace Rothstein played by Robert De Niro is blown into a sky of flames and is dropped into the flashing neon lights of 1970's Las Vegas. The opening credits are supplied over a close up of the dots which combine to create a neon sign; very similar to the opening credits of Milestone's 1960's classic Ocean's 11, reminding us that these signs will take us into the glittering world of Vegas, where ?anything goes;? a world in which before Casino, has only ever been depicted through the eyes of the visitor."
Tags: nevada, urbanism, scorsese, hollywood, gambling, city
Abstract This paper examines the pollution problems facing LasVegas. The author argues that LasVegas has in the past violated major health standards and has been the major culprit in air pollution. This paper analyses how the city of LasVegas can address the problem. Included is an analysis of health risks to the local population, risks effecting the environment, as well as economic and political issues relating to the problem.
From the Paper "Next to the famously smog-clogged Los Angeles, Las Vegas is one of the most polluted cities in the United States. (Clean Fresh Air.com) In fact, according to the EPA, Las Vegas was the only city in the entire country that violated all the federal health standards for the three major types of air pollution between 1989 and 1998. The prime culprit was dust from construction and unpaved roads and lots. This statistic is particularly shocking when one considers the fact that on a national basis, the levels of all six federally regulated pollutants decreased between 1989 and 1998. (?EPA Reports Las Vegas Violated Air Pollution Standards.?)"
Abstract This paper sheds light on the "land of temptation" known as LasVegas. While the city has earned fame by being one of the biggest gambling centers in the world, still it is important to understand that the place has a lot to offer to those visitors too whose idea of fun doesn?t include squandering money. This paper shows how LasVegas turned into the fastest growing city of the United States both in terms of economy and population during the mid-1980s and but while the former brought huge investment into the city, the latter led to numerous problems which are commonly associated with a rapidly growing urban center. The paper focuses on all the things that keep LasVegas in the news.
From the Paper "The city earned its reputation as a gambling town in the fifties and sixties when its ever-sprouting casinos attracted the not-so-decent crowd and it was believed that the city was good for those who wanted some adult fun on the weekends. But all that has changed now, not only has it become a major vacation resort, there are actually some people who would love to call this once-wicked town their home. One thing has remained unchanged though, the city with its Disney-like magic and lure and its almost surreal magnificence aims to attract adult visitors only. Just like Disney would lure the young kids to its magical world, similarly this land of vicious temptations is meant primarily for adults."
Abstract This report deals with how the gaming and entertainment industry affects LasVegas in terms of structure. The report looks at issues of urban structure, consumption, culture, and economy to look at the ways in which this city operates and has operated in the past, in terms of changes that have been taking place in LasVegas, the role of the worker, the target of tourism, and other attendant issues. The report
also explores the relationship between consumption and cities in post-war and contemporary America, because these are the two main epochs of the growth of LasVegas' structure via the gaming and entertainment industry.
From the Paper "Aside from showing how this industry contributes to Las Vegas' structure, this report will also look at elements of the commodity city and the landscape as it is organized around consumer desires, particularly in terms of the recent Wynn developments in the city being commodity spectacles. The report will also look at Las Vegas as a place of consumption, focusing on economic factors which again link the
gaming and entertainment industry to Las Vegas as a city in terms of its essential structure. "
Abstract This paper discusses that, despite the problems of the general world economy, LasVegas, specifically the hotel industry, continues to thrive. The paper shows the continued growth of hotels in both the high price and the family budget sectors. (Graph included.)
The author points out that, in addition to the hotel sector, the community of LasVegas is growing rapidly as workers are attracted by the growth in the leisure industry.
Table of Content
Introduction
Brief History
Economy
Transportation/Accessibility/Location
Socio/Economy
Economic/Competitive/Real Estate Analysis
Conclusion
From the Paper "It was not until the late 1940s that Las Vegas came into view by political leaders as a potential thriving business. In 1944 Maxwell Kelch became president of the Chamber of Commerce and presented advertising and publicity agencies with offers to promote Vegas. Millions suddenly desired to enter the city of lights after word got out of the sight to see, famous figures and gambling potential. Many new hotels popped up in response to the increased interest in city affairs. Most of the early hotels featured "bungalow style rooms" that were very plain compared to modern standards. However, they eventually grew larger into the giant resorts with which most people are familiar today."
Abstract Although one is in the middle of the desert and the other on an island in the middle of the sea, LasVegas and Waikiki draw visitors and new residents year-round. This paper explains that in spite of their diverse geographical locations, both are American cities with a rich ethnic diversity and a strong tourism industry. Both American cities share similar appeals: Waikiki, which is a district of Hawaii's capital Honolulu, has year-round mild and sunny weather, although LasVegas, Nevada gets much colder in the winter than Honolulu does.
From the Paper "Tourists are drawn to these cities for fun as well as sun, for both areas boast a number of world-class four and five-star resorts as well as lively nighttime entertainment. Las Vegas draws people for its gambling casinos, and Waikiki for its beaches, but both cities are famously fun. People and families that are considering relocation would take into account more than just nightlife, however. Weather, cost of living, and other factors impact the selection of a new home. Las Vegas and Honolulu have similar median household incomes. However, Honolulu is one of the most expensive cities in America in which to live, with a cost of living index that ranks fourth in the nation. Las Vegas has a lower cost of living in general. Both cities have a relatively low rate of unemployment, but Las Vegas also has a better job growth rate than Honolulu. In spite of some differences in cost of living and local economies, Honolulu and its world famous beach Waikiki shares much in common with Las Vegas and its world famous casinos. Both Waikiki and Las Vegas make excellent vacation spots, and although Las Vegas might be a cheaper place to which to move or start up a business, the desert city lacks the beach culture, lush flora and fauna, and unique ethnic makeup of Hawaii.'
Abstract This paper discusses the illusions and expectations that tourists to LasVegas come to the city with. It then compares these illusions and expectations with the reality of the experiences of these same visitors. The paper bases its arguments on Roger Kimball's "Existentialism, Semiotics, and Iced Tea." The paper provides examples from occurrences in LasVegas.
From the Paper "A very recent example was when, several weeks ago now, unsuspecting tourists happened to be visiting Las Vegas at the same time the NBA All Star teams, replete with rowdy entourages and various ill-mannered hangers-on, rolled into town and behaved in ways that spoiled the atmosphere and therefore ruptured, for a time, the Las Vegas illusion. One may be sure Las Vegas spin-masters were put right to work after this occurred, prettying up as much as possible any ugly leftover details (the worst of these being a nightclub shooting in which the manager of the place was shot by a basketball star or someone in his entourage (no one is talking) and is now paralyzed. Tourists in town for whatever reason that weekend, or even a few weekends afterward, might have heard or read something or other about the shooting itself, but not about its now-paralyzed and unable to work again victim. That story just broke last week, and on a Wednesday."
Abstract This paper discusses the habits of LasVegas residents who gamble. The paper looks at studies and statistics that identify the size and scope of the locals market within LasVegas, the behaviors of this group and their relationships to friends and family that visit from out of town. The paper also looks at the impact of tourists on both their gambling and non-gambling hosts.
Outline:
The Locals Gaming Segment
Current Statistical Data
Conclusion
From the Paper "While the famous Las Vegas Strip may be the most well know venue to tourists for casino gaming, there are several other geographical areas within the City that are popular areas for gambling, particularly to locals. These include Downtown Las Vegas, which is populated by older, more modest hotel/casinos, and a long stretch of Boulder Highway, also known as the Boulder Strip, which is inhabited by several so-called locals' casinos. (Shinnar, et al., 2004). The outlying cities of North Las Vegas and Henderson are also popular locations for casinos that cater to local residents. This aversion to The Strip can probably be attributed to the fact that locals are not as impressed by the casinos that are located there and do not wish to fight the constant congestion."
Abstract Drugs and similar destructive behavior are major social problems addressed by a number of films in recent years. These films develop around a subculture and evoke certain images associated with such milieus, often using stereotypical images as shorthand to introduce the audience to the world of drug abuse and other marginal behavior. This paper discusses destructive social behavior in "Trainspotting" (depicting the drug culture in the United Kingdom), "Drugstore Cowboy" (exploring a feminist angle to drug abuse) and "Leaving LasVegas" (portraying an alcohol abuse problem).
From the Paper "Trainspotting is a film depicting the drug culture in the United Kingdom, and the American audience at least is less familiar with this milieu than with its own drug subculture. Controversy developed between those who saw the film as reflecting a reality that had to be understood and addressed and those who saw the film as glorifying drug use and so as creating a problem that might not otherwise exist. The harrowing nature of the lives of the young people in this film, however, would seem to mitigate any potential for glorification. The film reflects the social context of its time in this debate, a debate between the belief in free expression and in control to reach some end, a debate between seeing drugs as so terrible that even excessive means might be needed to stop their use and seeing the issue as overblown so that society should restrain its repressive impulses."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the anti-social potential of Disneyland and LasVegas in reference to theories of postmodernism, hyper-reality, simulation, aesthetic values, commercialism and mediatization. The pro-social potential is also examined in a critical sense, focusing primarily on issues relating to escapism and gratification as the primary driving forces behind our need for simulation. This paper argues that simulated environments such as LasVegas and Disneyland are caught up in the use of the facade and masking in an antisocial manner of spectacle.
From the Paper "According to Baudrillard, we are living in an era of simulation; an age in which reality no longer exists, and where "the very definition of the real has become: that of which it is possible to give an equivalent reproduction." (Simulations, 1983) Baudrillard theorizes that through the mirroring of reality, we lose sight of reality. However, as is reflected by our tastes in popular culture, we still yearn for the real, except that we want to be entertained at the same time. Thus the result is that we mimic reality, distort it for entertainment value, and then provide a manifestation of it for public consumption. Nowhere is this conjecture more relevant than in the grandeur of Las Vegas and the opulence of Disneyland."
Tags: baudrillard, disney, disneyland, las, modernism, post, spectacle, vegas, world
