ROBERT LANG, PH.D. | PROFESSOR & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BROOKINGS MOUNTAIN WEST | THE LINCY INSTITUTE
GREENSPUN COLLEGE | UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS
Understanding the Middle Class in Las Vegas:Density, Diversity, and Demographics
Who Am I?—A College Professor
Executive Director of Brookings Mountain West & The Lincy Institute
Urban/Public Affairs Professor at UNLV’s Greenspun College
Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution in Washington, DC
What’s in This Talk? I Look at the Urban Make Up of Metropolitan Las Vegas—Its People and Places as Tied to the Middle Class
I End With an Invitation for UNLV Faculty to Partner With Brookings on the Middle Class Project
Brookings U.S. Megapolitan Clusters
Reid Ewing’s Compactness IndexMeasures Four Key Components: • Density (6 Elements)• Mixed Use (3 Elements)• Street Accessibility (2 Elements)• Centering (3 Elements)
Las Vegas Has Higher Density, More Mixed Uses, and Centering Than the Average U.S. MetroEwing Univ. of Utah
Ewing’s Compactness Index Scores
Metropolitan Area Variation from 100
Atlanta -59%
Denver +7%
Houston -23%
Las Vegas +21%
Phoenix -22%
Salt Lake City +7%
Density Scores for Selected U.S. Metros: West vs. South
So Why Does Density Matter?Because Compactness = More Economic Productivity and Jobs
Chris Nelson at the U of Arizona Estimates That a 10% Increase in Compactness = a 1% Increase in Regional GDP.
In Las Vegas That Translates to About $2 Billion in GDP Output Nelson Univ. of AZ
Frey: U.S. 2060 Population Diversity
Frey: A Diversity Explosion by 2045
Teixeira: Diversity Explosion By State
Las Vegas Today = America 2060 Las Vegas is Already Adding to the U.S. Diversity Explosion—It’s a Microcosm of the Nation’s Diversity
UNLV’s Diversity Reflects Las Vegas and Makes it the Most Diverse National University According to USN&WR
UVA Racial
Dot Maps –
Midwest
Chicago
Source: Williams and Emamdjomeh (2018, May 10). America is more diverse than ever – but still segregated. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/segregation-us-cities/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f701b84e3887
UVA Racial Dot Maps -East
Washington, D.C.
Source: Williams and Emamdjomeh (2018, May 10). America is more diverse than ever – but still segregated. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/segregation-us-cities/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f701b84e3887
UVA Racial Dot Maps –Mountain West
Las Vegas
Source: Williams and Emamdjomeh (2018, May 10). America is more diverse than ever – but still segregated. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/segregation-us-cities/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f701b84e3887
Reasons for the Contrast LV-MidwestLas Vegas Was Mostly Built After 1968 Fair Housing Act—Results in More Local Diversity
The LV-Style of Master Planned Communities Mixes Income, Land Use, and Housing Types
Oasis Sierra Apartments
So Why Does This Matter for Class?HUD HOPE VI Project Was Designed to Mix Incomes and Land Uses
The Idea is that It Helps Lift People to the Middle Class by a Network Neighborhood Effect
What Can We Conclude
qLas Vegas is Densely Built and its Urban Form Promotes Economic Output
qLas Vegas is Diverse, and is Mixed by Income and Race at the Neighborhood Scale
qLas Vegas Density and Diversity are Related and Due in Part to Local Development Practices
UNLV Partnering Opportunities
qWe Invite the UNLV Faculty in the Greenspun College to Work With Brookings on the Project
qResearch Topics Include Health, Education (K-12 and Higher Ed.), Housing, Social Capital, Transportation Equity, and Workforce
qUNLV Faculty Input on Spatial Analysis Such as Mapping the Middle Class
Next a Discussion on Social Capital
Thank You
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