Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons^™

Neo Development Of The Workplace Environment In Response To Evolutionary Social Changes, Dafne Odette

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study is to identify the needs and wants of remote workers to support their health and well-being in response to evolutionary social changes. Many workers were once tethered to live in the city where their job office resided. Additionally, economic forces have long been a deciding factor in where one lives. The COVID-19 virus of 2020 provided an opportunity for many people to work remotely to control the virus (Latham, Higgins, & Judish, 2020). This has allowed people to retain higher salaries while living in rural areas where the cost of living may be lower. In 2021, some businesses …

The Rise Of Southern Nevada As A Cluster For Metropolitan Transit Technology Innovations, Arthur C. Nelson

Policy Briefs and Reports

Southern Nevada is emerging as the nation’s leader in private sector-driven innovations in transportation technologies. From the humble beginnings of a monorail system serving a portion of major hotel and gaming venues along the Las Vegas Strip, now supplemented by an array of people movers, Southern Nevada continues to attract transit innovations in tunneling, Hyperloop, and driverless vehicle delivery technologies. The region may soon anchor a high-speed rail system connecting Southern Nevada to Los Angeles. The purpose of this briefing paper is to frame the nature of this emerging transportation cluster and the opportunities this creates for Southern Nevada to …

Interstate 11: The Road To Prosperity In Nevada, Arthur C. Nelson

Policy Briefs and Reports

Interstate 11 (I-11) offers Nevada a unique opportunity to advance the economic development prospects of one of the state’s most economically challenged areas: Elko and eastern Nevada. Although the state used a qualitative system to choose a western route for I-11, this process may not have considered fully the costs of extending I-11 to Canada in a cost-effective manner or in a manner consistent with I-11 purposes, especially avoiding congested areas. This briefing report reviews the history and purposes of I-11; summarizes the I-11 route options; considers how I-11 might extend to Canada in a way that is consistent with …

Rail Fixed Guideway Systems In Western U.S. Regions, Kelly A. Beavers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research explores the policy factors influencing the intraregional development of rail transit. For the purpose of this research, policy factors include: institutional arrangements, factors associated with governance, and factors in the policymaking process. The research questions are studied in five case study MSAs within the Pacific West and Mountain West regions of the United States: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ; Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA; and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR. The foundational problems that frame this research are the challenges of urban planning at a regional scale, specifically for transportation. The more specific challenge of transportation planning is situated within …

Impervious Surfaces Mapping At City Scale By Fusion Of Radar And Optical Data Through A Random Forest Classifier, Binita Shrestha, Haroon Stephen, Sajjad Ahmad

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Urbanization increases the amount of impervious surfaces, making accurate information on spatial and temporal expansion trends essential; the challenge is to develop a cost-and laboreffective technique that is compatible with the assessment of multiple geographical locations in developing countries. Several studies have identified the potential of remote sensing and multiple source information in impervious surface quantification. Therefore, this study aims to fuse datasets from the Sentinel 1 and 2 Satellites to map the impervious surfaces of nine Pakistani cities and estimate their growth rates from 2016 to 2020 utilizing the random forest algorithm. All bands in the optical and radar …

Revitalization: Crime Prevention Through Design Intervention, Jose Ricardo Leon Serrano

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

In a city populated by Luxurious Hotels, the streetscape is often neglected discouraging extended interaction of the pedestrian in the area. As a result, the topic of security in public spaces is being analyzed to bring to light the recent increase in violent offenses. Establishing additional principles of safety to the standard best practice guidelines will impact the image of our city promoting public safety. The issue arises as to the lack of urban squares and architectural features that allow for recurring criminal behavior. An increase in crime financially causes a loss in profit for the retail and hotels surrounding …

Integrated Stadia: Gambling On The Future Of The Stadium Experience, Mike Puga

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Future stadiums need to become multi-functional built environments that maximize revenue and provide connections with the community that allow them to survive. Applying integrative and forward-thinking design negates the potential for cities to face decaying venues that become detriments to the community they serve.

Anthesis: The Blooming Of The Las Vegas Strip, David Navarrete

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

The diversity of thought throughout the HD Studio always produces great synergy between projects with overlapping areas of interest. Here, we see a question about why Las Vegas' public green space lags behind other cities' lead to more questions (and answers) about how the pedestrian experience along Las Vegas Boulevard could transform from a predominantly car-centric space into a sidewalk experience that extends the excitement of resorts' interiors to the outside. Like other theses that explore everything from public promenades to places for social media posts, the work of David Navarreto calls on lessons learned from urban planning, landscape architecture, …

Agricultural Urbanism: Sustainable Food Security In Urban Development, Diego Soto

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Food insecurity is an unfortunate reality for far too many people. In this noble venture, a Master of Architecture candidate takes principles of hospitality design and applies them to residential and civic design such that the communal spaces of our neighborhoods and the homes of families become more hospitable. Diego Soto entered the HD Studio with a passion for helping people and a goal to address hunger. Conversations chronicled through his book take the reader on a journey that helps the wider audience appreciate the oath architects take... to uphold the life, safety, and welfare of the general public. Diego's …

Las Vegas Living: Incorporating Affordable Housing In The Strip, Maria Dos Santos

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

At the time of this writing (Spring 2021), the housing market in Las Vegas is hitting all-time highs. Average home prices are higher than they were pre-housing crash of 2008, and the available housing stock is so limited that many buyers are paying tens of thousands over asking price and they are doing it with cash. All of this is happening against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospitality industry (travel, meetings, events, restaurant, etc.) was among the hardest hit sectors of the economy, and many workers in this largest area of the Las Vegas economy are low-income employees …

Connecting Allegiant Stadium With The Strip: Flipping Las Vegas Resorts Programming Inside-Out, Austin Sattler

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Allegiant Stadium (a $1.9 billion project) has been recently completed just across the interstate from the south end of The Strip. Its future-oriented design and seating capacity of 60,000 brings tremendous potential for Las Vegas, and its location has brought challenges to resolve with regard to pedestrian and vehicular traffic around major events. Austin Sattler studies the characteristics of Las Vegas Boulevard that make it one of the most populous streets in the world and its multiple cross-streets that support a continuation of the tourist experience. After conducting additional case studies of popular promenades around the world and simulating various …

Memorial Parking Trees: Resilient Modular Design With Nature-Based Solutions In Vulnerable Urban Areas, Haroon Stephen, Fortino Acosta

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Nature-based solutions (NbS) include all the landscape’s ecological components that have a function in the natural or urban ecosystem. Memorial Parking Trees (MPTs) are a new variant of a nature-based solution composed of a bioswale and a street tree allocated in the road, occupying a space that is sub-utilised by parked cars. This infill green practice can maximise the use of street trees in secondary streets and have multiple benefits in our communities. Using GIS mapping and methodology can support implementation in vulnerable neighbourhoods. In this research, we based vulnerability assessments for London, Rio de Janeiro, and Los Angeles on …

Nature In The Urban Context: Renaturalisation As An Important Dimension Of Urban Resilience And Planning, Steffen Lehmann

Architecture Faculty Research

How are our cities confronting the challenges posed by a warming climate, the loss of biodiversity and major resource depletion? ―This article discusses the opportunities and benefits of applying the concepts of renaturalisiation and rewilding of cities. It introduces Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in urban planning that are integrated with the aim to enhance urban resilience and to slow down the biodiversity decline, which can be applied in two areas: through the conception of new green neighbourhoods; and through the regeneration and re-greening of existing but neglected parts of the city, such as postindustrial brownfields or economically weak districts. Contact to …

Perceptions Of The Built Environment Among Older Adults Who Live In Age-Restricted Communities Compared To Those Who Do Not In Southern Nevada, Sandra Annan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As Americans are living longer, there has been exponential growth in the number of older adults. Growth in the aging population has created unique challenges. As seniors age, they face many changes in their health, financial stability, and lifestyle, making it challenging to remain independent. The inability to remain independent can be a stressful and depressing experience for older adults. Studies show that most seniors prefer to stay in their current living environment as they age, or age in place, rather than move into senior housing or other available housing options designed for aging. This study investigates how perceptions about …

Community: A Neighborhood With A Unification Concept For A More Humane Social Interaction, Jorge Diaz

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

The modern world presents a dilemma in its inequalities of domesticity for people from a low socio-economic background. Public housing can provide a solution for this issue, but the properties of such buildings differ drastically in their architectural sensibilities from the outdated uniform Queensbridge blocks in New York to elite Quayside Village In Canada. The former is an outdated, low-cost living opportunity (Barry). The latter Quayside, on the other hand, is a comfortable residence that grew into a community. (World's 3 Most Successful Housing Projects"). The experience of Quayside Village allows the residents to engage city life by having amenities …

Analysis Of Mixed-Use Affordable Housing In Las Vegas, Maelle Egea

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Nevada is ranked at the very bottom of the U.S. with only 15 affordable homes available for rent statewide per 100 extremely low-income renter households. Las Vegas is even worse at 10 per 100. Las Vegas is a Hospitality-Driven city. My goal is to holistically understand mixed-use affordable housing from 4 main topics: Policy, Development, Finances, and architecture. Through an adaptive reuse approach of the travelers motel downtown Las Vegas, I have proposed a mixed-use/mixed-income development solution.

The Impact Of The Autonomous Vehicles In The Integrated Resort, Chester Gaudiel

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

The study delves into three main properties in The Strip. Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, and The City Center. These areas of study looked into the possibilities of incorporating an autonomous vehicle system in multiple scenarios. Each study was analyzed individually in hopes to develop claims based on the observations made in each property.

Designing A Non Conventional Philosophy Of Punishment: Rehabilitation And Reintegration Of Young Offenders, Paola Ortiz

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Architecture is one of the few disciplines that sends a silent message to everyone walking into any space. Design is crucial to create specific environments, but when it comes to a prison design, the concept is restricted. Design for prisons, jails, and juvenile corrections are more focused on cost and security, than humanity and hospitality related principles. Access to natural light is a luxury, windows are expensive, and the standardized colors used on their walls are far too depressing.

The Hospitality Design Laboratory: Testing A Growing Global Resource For Architectural Planning Research In The Tourism/Resort Industry, Glenn Nowak

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

The HD-Lab at UNLV is an experiment in merging academic research teams with industry leadership to address the ever-changing landscape of global tourism, gaming, and hospitality as it pertains to the built environment. This poster session seeks to share overviews of previous studies, lessons learned, and opportunities for future architectural research. Collaborations amongst diverse teams aim to foster interdisciplinary research and continued contributions to the intellectual capital of hospitality design in Las Vegas and around the world. The presentation is structured across six broad and intertwined areas of foci: 1. Integrated resorts’ future evolutions and innovations, 2. Tourism architecture’s advanced …

Urban Farming In Inner-City Multi-Storey Car-Parking Structures: Adaptive Reuse Potential, Monika Szopińska-Mularz, Steffen Lehmann

Architecture Faculty Research

The future direction of transport and new global concepts of low-carbon mobility are likely to increase the number of obsolete inner-city multi-storey car-parking structures. The adaptive reuse of these garages is challenged through the continuity of urban change and the need for new mixed-use typologies. The development of technologically advanced farming in these structures could become an innovative strategy that as an interim solution justifies renovation versus demolition and new construction. The paper presents findings from the first stage of the multiple-site case study research on car-parking structures strategically selected in 3 UK cities (Portsmouth, Bristol and Brighton). In order …

Temporary Appropriation Of Public Space As An Emergence Assemblage For The Future Urban Landscape: The Case Of Mexico City, Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Alessandro Melis, Steffen Lehmann

Architecture Faculty Research

Temporary appropriation (TA) is a re-emerging concept which occurs in the urban social landscape as a multidimensional phenomenon. Intended as multi-disciplinary and multi-scalar research, the present paper explores the way in which temporary appropriation could be interpreted as an assemblage product of other assemblages within the urban landscape. It, therefore, seeks to unravel and to re-think the nature of temporary appropriation through interconnected theoretical frameworks such as assemblage theory. Derived from the seminal work of Deleuze and Guattari (1989) and developed further by Manuel DeLanda (2016), assemblage theory focuses on the relations produced by the components of a whole rather …

Designed Environment For Healthy Aging, Attila Lawrence

Architecture Faculty Research

A growing number of aging adults want to remain in multi generational communities rather than relocating to retirement communities, or having to resort to an institutional setting. To productively function in an environment where all generations interact and live well together, however, one’s ability to manage diminishing cognitive and physical conditions precipitated by the aging process is a major factor that bears on everyone’s quality of life. Because the designed environment frequently plays a significant role in the occurrence of neurodegenerative disorders that involve biological changes, it is self-evident that design strategies intended to support the management of these symptoms …

Integrated Stadium Design, Nolberto Fu

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Several stadiums today surround themselves with hundreds of acres of parking. The Los Angeles Dodger Stadium for example, takes up over 17 million sq ft (400 acres) of parking space. That is roughly the size of Grand Central Station. This inefficient use of space creates a disconnect between the stadium and the city. In an attempt to avoid this disconnect from the city, the stadium must: Activate the stadiums street front and surrounding context, provide multiple programmatic functions for daily interactions and blur the lines between stadium and community.

Man Vs Car: The Ultimate Clash Designing A Safer Walking Experience For Las Vegas Pedestrians, Jenn Wong

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

The car has become a common weapon of choice for terrorists and others hoping to do harm to unsuspecting pedestrians. There is a pressing need for the development of effective, preventive design strategies to stop vehicular attacks before they cause pedestrian fatalities. Vehicular violence has broader consequences beyond the pedestrians directly involved in specific incidents. The fear created by vehicular attacks undermines public trust and unity, resulting in harm that is less obvious than the immediate casualties, but is just as damaging. Is it possible to design the fear away? Do street safety devices enhance pedestrians feelings of safety?

Assessing The Potential For A Backfire Effect On Citizen Perceptions: A Test Of Hot Spot Policing In Las Vegas, Steven Andrew Pace

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objects: In this dissertation, I explore whether the use of motorized police saturation patrol in high crime neighborhoods negatively impacts citizen perceptions of police activity, opinions about the police, and perceived safety level. This research focuses on evaluating

whether or not any backfire effects were attributed to the use of the hot spot policing tactic. Methods: I report on survey data from the Smart Policing Initiative (SPI), which entailed face-to face interviews in 12 hot spot neighborhoods (n=1,005) (6 paired locations) as part of an evaluation from the SPI on the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Mobile Crime Saturation Team. …

Estimating Population Growth Of Las Vegas, Ryan Desacola, Jacob Valadez, Ryan S. Tan

Math 365 Class Projects

An issue we have identified is Las Vegas' population growth. To those that live in Las Vegas, many know that Las Vegas is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States of America; due to its rampant growth, projecting future population growth is of utmost importance in order to prepare public utilities, housing developments, and other such services for the inevitable incrase. Consequently, for our project, we are attempting to extrapolate upon existing population growth trends (identified by censuses of years past) and utilize the method of least squares to turn out extrapolation into a mathematical prediction.

The Impact Of Successful Ncaa Division I Athletics Programs On The Social Capital Of Urban Communities, Paul Woody

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined how urban communities might grow social capital from the passion and support offered by a college athletics program. Given the increasing emphasis on fiscal responsibility from local governments and public universities, recognizing how college athletics programs influence local community social capital, such as anchor attachments formed by alumni and fans, is an important perspective. Historically, the exhausted conversation has focused on economics, such as the economic impact of athletic venues and franchises. (Coates, 2007; Crompton, 2004). Through decades of research, social capital has been measured at various depths and viewed through social, economic, psychological, and even historical …

Developing Seamless Connections In The Urban Transit Network: A Look Toward High-Speed Rail Interconnectivity, Tingting Yu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the past, the studies in the U.S. on high speed rail have been on economic impact. Recently, there are a few studies on the multimodal connectivity at high speed rail stations. High speed rail stations are viewed as hubs that are connected by different modes of public transportation by which passengers are transported to their destinations. How and in which way these different modes are connected to high speed rail stations influence the ridership of high speed rail stations. As the development of high speed rail system in the U.S. has come to the stage for actual design and …

Factors Influencing The Perceived Impacts Of Medical Tourism Development On Quality Of Life, Courtney Suess

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A structural model is proposed and empirically examined that investigates factors influencing how residents perceive medical tourism's impact on quality of life domains and behavioral responses. A model based on social exchange is adapted as the basis of theory that medical tourism in a destination will affect community conditions and living experiences, which in turn influence residents' support for its development and tax paying behavioral intentions. Analyzed factors influencing how residents perceive medical tourism's affect on community conditions and living experiences underlying quality of life include overall community satisfaction, satisfaction with healthcare, attitudes towards medical tourism and economic performance.

An Examination Of Walkability In The Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, Courtney Coughenour

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: The benefits to regular physical activity are well established. Walkability is one element of the built environment that has been correlated with increased levels of physical activity. The auto-centric design of Las Vegas Metropolitan area (LVMA) is unique in ways that may influence walkability. The purpose of this study was to determine which urban design characteristics are associated with walking and physical activity in moderate income neighborhoods in LVMA. Methods: The standard walkability measure developed by Frank et al. (2010) was used to calculate the walkability index of seven neighborhoods. Residents of the two most walkable and two least …