Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Diversifying Demography Of The Mountain West, Kelliann Beavers, Olivia K. Cheche, Vanessa Booth, Saha Salahi, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

Between 2000 and 2019, Mountain West states and metros have mirrored a nationwide trend of white populations gradually making up a smaller percentage of the total population. As a result, various race-ethnic minority groups now make up larger percentages of the total population and have contributed to increased diversification in the region. Using data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau and analyzed by William H. Frey from the Brookings Institution, this Fact Sheet focuses on the diversification and population changes in the Mountain West.

An Analysis Of The Nevada K.I.D.S. Read Program Funding, Allie Ryerson

Student Research

The United States has a literacy problem; in fact, it has an education problem in general. Piecemeal reforms that differ wildly from state to state, and even county to county, have had varying levels of success from none to showing real potential. Nevada is not exempt from this literacy problem. In 2015, only 47.57% of the students taking the state mandated third grade exams were deemed proficient on the English Language Arts portion of the exam. The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficacy of one such literacy program, “Nevada K.I.D.S Read”, with a goal of establishing early …

Traffic Scorecard In Mountain West Cities, Kelliann Beavers, Eshaan Vakil, Katie M. Gilbertson, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Transportation & Infrastructure

This fact sheet presents congestion and mobility trends in 14 Mountain West cities as compiled by INRIX Research and author Trevor Reed, in the Global Traffic Scorecard, March 2020. The INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard examines the impact of vehicle travel on 975 congested cities in the world; this fact sheet focuses on the Mountain West, providing insight on the ranking and impacts of congestion. This fact sheet also supplements INRIX’s scorecard with population data from the U.S. Census Bureau to provide context for the rankings.

Land Use In Nevada: Counties And The Bureau Of Land Management (Blm), Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Kelliann Beavers, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This Fact Sheet compares land ownership in the State of Nevada, and its 17 counties. Drawn from an original report by Headwaters Economics, the figures and tables that follow provide each jurisdiction’s total land acreage, 2019 population estimates, and a breakdown of land ownership categories, including: private lands, federal lands, state lands, tribal lands, and land owned by cities, counties, or other jurisdictions.

Analysis Of The School-To-Work Transition Of Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jessica Balistreri

Student Research

When immediately entering the labor market post-high school graduation, Transitional Age Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (TAY-ASD) face significant barriers to employment compared to both their disabled and non-disabled peers. With employment outcomes characterized by low wages, short work hours, and social isolation, TAY-ASD from low income households with lower levels of functioning face the greatest hardship in seeking employment after high school graduation. Current vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs show inefficiency in servicing individuals with the greatest need for assistance due to lack of program monitoring and little emphasis for post-secondary education (PSE) attainment. This study suggests that reform to …

Race-Ethnic Neighborhood Segregation In The Southwest Megapolitan Triangle, Yanneli Llamas, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This Fact Sheet analyzes race-ethnic neighborhood segregation in the Southwest Megapolitan Triangle, which consists of the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA; and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Drawing from an original report by Brookings senior fellow, William Frey, this fact sheet illustrates the degree of residential segregation over time in the three MSAs.

Covid-19: Payment Protection Program (Ppp) Loan Impact In The Mountain West, Eshaan Vakil, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet summarizes the impact of COVID-19 relief loans on small businesses in 5 Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Using data reported by the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), researchers at Brookings report, “across metro areas, COVID-19 relief loans are helping some places more than others.” This fact sheet explores the geographic distribution of PPP loans in 20 “very large,” “large,” “midsize,” and “small” metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in the Mountain West.

Housing Affordability In Nevada Recreation Counties, Yanneli Llamas, Vanessa Booth, Peter Grema, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Housing & Real Estate

Using 2019 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, this Fact Sheet highlights housing affordability in Nevada’s four recreation counties: Clark, Douglas, Elko, and Washoe. This synthesis is based on a published, national study by Dr. Megan Lawson of Headwaters Economics titled, “Housing in recreation-dependent counties is less affordable.”

Covid-19: Metro Recovery Index In The Mountain West, Vanessa Booth, Katie M. Gilbertson, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession that is developing as a result, researchers at the Brookings Institution created the “Metro Recovery Index dashboard,” an interactive data set that tracks changes in labor, real estate, and other economic indicators for metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. Using data from January – June 2020, this Fact Sheets highlights the impact of the COVID-19 recession on 13 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in 5 Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

Traffic-Related Pedestrian Deaths In The Sun Belt Region, Madison Frazee-Bench, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Transportation & Infrastructure

This Fact Sheet presents data from Smart Growth America on the number of pedestrian fatalities in U.S. states and congressional districts. For the purpose of this fact sheet, the data included focus on the Sun Belt region between 2008 and 2017, highlighting areas with the highest rates of traffic-related pedestrian deaths.

Minority Owned Businesses In The Southwest Megapolitan Triangle, Yanneli Llamas, Madison Frazee-Bench, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents the potential impact of COVID-19 on minority owned businesses, using data originally published by Brookings researchers Sifan Liu and Joseph Parilla in “Businesses owned by women and minorities have grown. Will COVID-19 undo that?” As noted in the original report, the coronavirus pandemic will shock a variety of industries and communities, but minority-owned businesses are likely to be hardest hit.

Downtown Population Growth In Southwest And Mountain West Metros, Peter Grema, Eshaan Vakil, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

Summarizing data from Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program’s May 2020 research brief “big city downtowns are booming, but can their momentum outlast the coronavirus?,” this fact sheet includes an overview of population growth in downtown and metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) between 1980 and 2018 in the Southwest and Mountain West regions of the United States. We focus on Mountain West states (Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico) in our analysis. In addition, we include the metros that comprise the Southwest Megapolitan Triangle (Southern California, alongside Las Vegas, NV, and Phoenix, AZ metropolitan statistical areas).

Population Growth In Major Mountain West Metros, 2010 - 2019, Marie A. Falcone, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

On March 26, 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau released population estimates for the time period between July 2010 and July 2019. Brookings senior fellow, William H. Frey suggests that “Even before coronavirus, census shows U.S. cities’ growth was stagnating.” This fact sheet explores population growth trends in 5 Mountain West Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) with populations over one million residents (i.e. Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Tucson).

The Southwest Megapolitan Triangle: Immigration And Population Growth, Yanneli Llamas, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This Fact Sheet analyzes population changes in three Mountain West metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs): Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ; and Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV. Collectively, these three major metropolitan areas are known as the Southwest Megapolitan Triangle. This Fact Sheet illustrates population changes between 2010 and 2018, using data provided by Brookings Institution senior fellow and demographer, William H. Frey, in his report titled, “As Americans spread out, immigration plays a crucial role in local population growth.” By 2019, more than 20 million Americans called this region home.

Neighborhood Change In Las Vegas, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Housing & Real Estate

This Fact Sheet analyzes indicators of demographic and economic change in Las Vegas neighborhoods and suburbs, provided by “American Neighborhood Change in the 21st Century,” a study published by the Institute on Metropolitan Opportunity (IMO) at the Minnesota Law School. Researchers reviewed data from the 2000 U.S. Census and the 2016 American Community Survey (ACS) for the top 50 largest metros in the U.S. The study reports levels of neighborhood change, including economic growth, poverty concentration, gentrification, and low-income displacement. Data pertaining to the Las Vegas metropolitan region are synthesized to measure indicators of economic viability and housing availability.

Metro Monitor 2020: Las Vegas & Reno, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This Fact Sheet presents changes in indicators of economic health for the State of Nevada using data provided by the Brookings Institution’s Metro Monitor analysis. Looking beyond gross domestic product (GDP) and job growth, researchers at Brookings’ Metropolitan Policy Program measure various indicators of economic well-being across 192 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for a 1-year period (from 2017-2018) and a 10-year period (from 2008-2018). Metro areas are classified by size: midsized metros (with populations between 250,000 and 500,000), large metros (with populations between 500,000 and 1 million), and very large metros (with populations over 1 million). For the purpose of …

Political Parties And Demographic Transformation In Nevada, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Demography

This Fact Sheet presents projections of demographic change in Nevada’s political party coalitions using data provided in the report “States of Change: How Demographic Change is Transforming the Republican and Democratic Political Parties.” Using the composition of the two parties’ electorate in the 2016 presidential election as a baseline, researchers explore age, race, and education characteristics of voters in 14 U.S. swing states to predict the demographic makeup of voting groups in future elections. This Fact Sheet makes comparisons to other swing states, but focuses primarily on Nevada data.

A City On The Front Lines Of An Epidemic: The Opioid Crisis In Las Vegas, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Advanced Undergraduate Winner

While addiction to opioids kills more Americans every year, the purpose of this report is to assess the extent of the problem in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, and to propound ways in which local policy can help. A geospatial analysis of opioid demand nationally, regionally, and locally explains how the epidemic is diffusing, where divides exist in terms of access to treatment, and the differential effects of opioids driving this crisis. By tracking opioid-related prescriptions, hospital admissions, and deaths, the results show that opioid demand in the Las Vegas metro has decreased but remains well above …

Nevada’S Secret Killer: Opioid Deaths, Vanessa Marie Booth

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Emerging Scholars Winner

Presented in this study is an analysis of the Nevada opioid crisis and how a viable solution can impact its severity. It does so in a public policy environment while synthesizing outside sources to support the presented claims. The scope of this study is to present a problem, cause, solution scenario on how to solve this policy problem. This study also takes into consideration Nevada’s current economic state amid the coronavirus (COVID-19). In addition, this analysis also addresses the history behind the opioid epidemic across the United States and how it is impacting Nevada in present times. …

The Urban Heat Island Effect In Nevada, Ember Smith, Kaylie Pattni, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Environment

This fact sheet explores the temperature difference between Nevada cities and their undeveloped surrounding areas using reports by the Urban Land Institute, Climate Central, National Public Radio (NPR), and various governmental organizations. We investigate what “urban heat islands” are, their effects, the correlation between heat and income, and factors that contribute to rising temperatures in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Reno.

Job Density In The Mountain West, Ember Smith, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Economic Development & Workforce

This Fact Sheet highlights the job density patterns in large metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the Mountain West states (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado) using the findings of Where Jobs are Concentrating and Why it Matters to Cities and Regions, a report by Chad Shearer, Jennifer S. Vey, and Joanne Kim of the Brookings Institution.

Foot Traffic & Walkable Urbanism, Ember Smith, Mary Blankenship, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Transportation & Infrastructure

This fact sheet highlights the performance and expansion of WalkUPs (regionally significant, walkable areas) with a focus on Denver, Los Angeles, Orlando, Phoenix, and Las Vegas as detailed in Foot Traffic Ahead: Ranking Walkable Urbanism in America’s Largest Metros, a report by George Washington University.

Opioids In The Las Vegas Metro, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Health

In 2014, Nevada was one of 7 states selected to participate in a national policy coalition to reduce prescription drug abuse. As a result, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) created a data dashboard to track opioid prescriptions and opioid-involved overdose incidents. This Fact Sheet synthesizes state-level data from the Nevada Opioid Overdose Surveillance Dashboard and focuses on the Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The data track opioid prescription rates as they correlate to opioid-involved overdose deaths, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations.

Opioids In Nevada, Peter Grema, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Health

This Fact Sheet presents data from the Washington Post’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) database on opioid shipments in the United States and provides information pertaining to Nevada and each of its 17 regions (16 counties and one independent city). This Fact Sheet compares the Washington Post’s opioid shipment data with opioid prescription rates relative to Nevada’s population in 2010.

Best Performing Cities: Where America's Jobs Are Created And Sustained, Peter Grema, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Economic Development & Workforce

This Fact Sheet summarizes and expands upon the findings of the Milken Institute’s 2018 Best Performing Cities series report on the top 200 large cities and top 200 small cities in the United States in 2018. For the purposes of this Fact Sheet, the report focuses on 26 metropolitan areas located within the Mountain West region of the United States (Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico).

Policy Making In The Nevada Legislature: How Interest Groups Make The Difference, Madison Frazee

Student Research

This paper examines the structure of the Nevada legislature and how interest groups influence the policy making process. In particular, this paper aims to answer the questions of how interest groups are able to make a difference in the legislative process and how those groups are able to gain access to the political environment in the state. By understanding how interest groups advocate for certain policies, the best methods to engage citizens in the political process can be understood. By utilizing SB179 as the case study for this analysis, the processes of the legislature can be examined. Through moving to …