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Urban planner: Dreams for Nevada rest on waking change
Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 | 2 a.m.
What's Your Vision?
Futurists are always the first to tell you anything can happen. But the likelihood of change generally follows one of three paths.
The first track is the status quo: We continue doing what we’ve always done. In these times of dramatic global change, if we wait for good times to once again magically reappear, we’ll be waiting forever. In 2020 we’ll be like Detroit is today — passed over and left behind.
The second potential track is downward. Downward trends are frequently set off by disasters, either natural or man-made: earthquakes, exhausted natural resources or tragic human-caused occurrences such as Three Mile Island or Chernobyl. For Las Vegas, it could be the loss of water from Lake Mead or a severe earthquake that exposes the ground water to radiation poisoning. It could be a result of human action, like a deadly E. coli outbreak at a series of resorts or an epidemic of Legionnaires’ disease.
The third future option is the track I support — the path upward. This path means that as a community and a state, we must awaken with the recognition we have to change, and we have to begin changing now.
As of today, however, I don’t think we’re quite yet awake. Until the entire community rises up and becomes willing to take on the challenges ahead, the remainder of us need to get out of bed, get the coffee going and start breakfast.
Here’s what I think we can accomplish by 2020.
Through a communitywide visioning process supported at the grass roots by citizens as well as the business community, and through the combined efforts of all of the area chambers of commerce, Las Vegas will become a world-class city.
Resorts will become our second-largest tourist attraction. The greater attraction will be a community of more than 2 million residents and a million visitors each day operating entirely off the energy grid. Visitors will be touring the World Energy Technology Trade Center that is now part of the Las Vegas Convention Center and UNLV, where the new smart electrical grid was developed using focal beamed electrons in lieu of traditional transmission lines.
Tourists will also be here to see the archaeological and historical research under way in a variety of locations in Vias Verde, the world’s largest urban open space ring that loops the Las Vegas Valley. Many of them will be participating as volunteer scientists in the endeavors while living temporarily in campsites located along the ring.
Younger children in elementary and middle schools will be attending learning centers within safe and secure settings where they can walk to and from school each day. Older students will use public transit to attend combined high school and community college campuses. Every valley student will graduate with an associate degree and enter a meaningful career track in science, technology, human studies or the arts.
Every child will have a home — and every parent will be employed.
It should happen!
Robert Fielden is an architect and an urban planning expert.
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I love this!!
Where do we begin and what can I do to be a part of it??
Robert the key to your vision is the citizen. If we demand that our elected officials govern the way we demand to be governed; with decisions being made for the greater good of this community and not just the special interest who cater to them. And if they don't we vote them out. If we are an engaged and passionate community, I agree with you Robert, we can be a world class city! Vision is the hope for our future. Thank you for sharing.
We know have planning in Mexico, and everything fine there. I think this a waist of money. lets put more money into taking care of poor people and health care.
A severe earthquake that exposes the groundwater to radiation poisoning? What would be the source of the quake and the radioactive material?
Neither exists now, at least not that I know of.
And the greatest attraction being two million residents living off the grid?
Who wants to see the 1.6 million hillbillies that make up most of the valley population?
Rub a lamp Mr. Fielden. I love on demand power and my own personal transportation. Why is it considered progress to set us all back 100 years? I'm staying on the grid until the local Obamacare deathpanel decides to pull my plug.
Scott, Mexicans will be fine with no electricity, that is 35% of the population, probably more in a few years.. So know worry
It is certainly nice to have someone think on positive levels for a change. Thinking positive is a must if this country and the world is going to move forward.
It is interesting that this report didn't generate many comments. That's probably because it is a positive spin, not negative and the gloom and doom is what sells papers.
As discussed in the census article from a few days ago, Nevada should really capitolize on the semi-retired and retired age groups. Instead of the over the top, glitzy resorts for rocks stars & rich/famous, why not master-planned 45 + developments? These residents have money, pensions, medicare cards and would bring a nice stable economy to Nevada.
Arizona has plenty of them and it's a great a concept. Beautiful homes focused on fun, sports, leisure and socializing. Country Club like living with pickleball, tennis, swimming, softball etc. The best part are the afternoon siestas during the heat of the day. (which is way hotter than Las Vegas) This is what the undeveloped Lake Las Vegas properties still under the veil of bankruptcy should be turned into.
I applaud this positive article and thinking ahead. I hope that the city and county development departments in Nevada are reading this article and comments.
Thinking positive does not stop the forclosures, or stop layoffs, or keep food on the table...It does however keep you from losing it...
Greed is what drove our economy into the ground. From the Bankers to the Real Estate Agents to the Consumers that bought into the hype and overextended themselves.
Hopefully, a lesson was learned by all however, it will be years before our economy is back to normal, in the meantime I personally welcome the end to overbuilding in the Valley.
As our local Governments were too greedy to put a moratorium on building (while all the while crying the blues about our dwindling water supply) the collapse of our economy was unfortunately the only alternative.
I recently purchased a home in a rural area in the Northwest portion of the Valley (read horse property) and I am actually very comforted by the fact that I will not have to worry about encroachment by developers for at least the next 10 years... by then I will be retired in a small quiet town in another state.
While a certain amount of growth may be necessary to sustain a community, the type of growth permitted by our local governments was irresponsible and though I've spent my entire life in this Valley, I look forward to leaving before the cycle is allowed to repeat itself.
Smuck socialist
BLUF: fluff article. Energy independence for the valley, a green space around it, quality education for the young, and jobs for everyone. Who can argue against goals like that? That'd be like arguing against God, mom & apple pie (okay 10% of you might do that, but not enough to really do anything other than create some noise). We don't argue much about the goals, only the means proposed to achieve those goals.
If we really want those goals, how about:
1) Increased tax on gas & diesel and surtax based on vehicle mpg; use the $$ for rebates on installing solar panels, buying vehicles that get 35+ mpg, and contributing to a Western US maglev system (with LV as the center node).
2) Reform the educational system. Figure out how much money we REALLY spend on public education, take 5% off the top for admin costs and then divide up the rest into individual student vouchers that can be used in accredited public, charter and private schools (to include trade schools). And up the ante for accomplishment -- require a HS degree to mean a community college AA degree or tech certification. Our kids can and want to do more -- they just need a system that encourages them, not suppresses them.
3) Forget encouraging population growth but allow increased density within the urban area. Rezone all currently undeveloped land outside the beltway (such as it is) as "undevelopable" for the next 10 years.
Just get more companies and industries out here.
Robert, "right on"
Your vision is compelling and it would be great but how do we sell such a plan to the political status quo. We certainly are not going to sell it to the greedy private sector without some kind of tax incentive or public dole out. I would love to hear your ideas on some way of getting our less than adequately educated public to throw their support behind such an idea.
"...why not master-planned 45 + developments? These residents have money, pensions, medicare cards and would bring a nice stable economy to Nevada.
Arizona has plenty of them and it's a great a concept."
Yeah...ummm...have YOU ever been to Sun City or the east side of Mesa????? Nothing but retirees, and they tend to vote GOP. Google "Sheriff Joe Arpaio". Go ahead. Please don't let Vegas become the next Mesa. It's halfway on its way to that as it is. Yecchh.
What exactly makes Dr. Fielden an Urban Planning "expert"? He has a degree in architecture, not urban planning. Plus he has no APA certifications. While his vision sounds all lovely and flowery, what about all the in between details. How exactly are you going to make the city be what you vision it? It's going to take a lot more than new resorts on the strip or 10 lane highways. Our economy is overly based on a tourism and we lack the ability to survive without it. Our universities are lacking. In fact, any real urban planner in this state probably went to school somewhere else. Maybe NV should consider educating its own planners to figure out all the problems our state faces rather than architects who call themselves planning experts.
oh WOW !!! where the heck are those Ruby slippers anyway....