why do you think las vegas grew at such a great rate? PDF

[PDF] why do you think las vegas grew at such a great rate?

Overview

Las Vegas, city, seat (1909) of Clark county, southeastern Nevada, U.S. The only major city in the American West to have been founded in the 20th century, Las Vegas grew from a tiny, desert-bound railroad service centre at the outset of the 20th century to the country’s fastest-growing metropolis at century’s end. This transformation—made possible by a combination of shrewd entrepreneurship, access to water, an extensive transportation network, and permissive state laws—has created the city now often known simply as “Vegas,” a place of vast casinos, elaborate hotels, and spectacular entertainment venues that attracts masses of visitors from throughout the world.

Character of the city

Las Vegas is a place of million-lightbulb signs and fantastic architecture, of readily visible wealth and carefully hidden poverty. It is a place of superlatives, both positive and negative. Within the city stand the largest glass pyramid in the world; one of the largest hotels in the country, with more than 5,000 rooms; and one of the most expensive hotels ever constructed, the Bellagio. The area along Las Vegas Boulevard and its adjoining near-downtown streets—the famous “Strip”—is the “City Without Clocks,” whose multibillion-dollar economy is devoted to servicing a wide array of impulses and addictions of many kinds. It is this Las Vegas, the flashy playground unofficially known as “Sin City,” that the American novelist and essayist Joan Didion once termed

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What factors influenced the development of Las Vegas?

The development of Las Vegas has been influenced by a wide range of external factors, from geology, government, organized crime, business visionaries, large corporations and the economy. The continued influence of these factors could lead to drastically divergent outcomes from the loss of the city to a new golden age.

Will Las Vegas undergo a massive change in the future?

If the turning points of the past are an indicator of things to come, a signpost guiding us toward a possible future state, then it is possible that Las Vegas will undergo a massive change in the future as the site of a massive investment in infrastructure, transportation or real estate.

Does Las Vegas have a diversified economy?

Construction has long been a significant component of the economy, serving the rapidly growing population. Although Las Vegas claims to have a diversified economy, the service sector unquestionably is dominant. In reality, the city is essentially a one-company town—that “company” being gambling and tourism.

Is Las Vegas concerned about what we were yesterday?

Or as Hal Rothman, former chair of the University of Las Vegas’ history department put it, “Las Vegas isn’t concerned with what we were yesterday, or what we are today […] it’s tomorrow that entices us” ( Heilman, 2013, p. 1).

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