Nevada

Squatters Put Las Vegas Valley Residents on Edge
Squatters living in the Las Vegas Valley have taken over empty houses in struggling working-class neighborhoods and in upscale planned communities such as Summerlin.
Hyperloop One Hails its 'Kitty Hawk' Moment in the Nevada Desert
PBS kicks off its new science and technology series with a look at just what happened in the desert with MIT's Hyperloop team. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien likens the week's events more to the "glider moment" preceding Kitty Hawk.

Expecting Investment, Reno Targets Blighted Properties
As a nascent tech economy tests the waters, Reno's Vice Mayor spearheads an effort to equitably clear out blight and revisit the purpose of the city's downtown.

Opposition Emerging to Las Vegas Elevated Expressway Proposal
A pair of articles in recent weeks reveals opposition to a proposal for an elevated expressway connecting McCarran Airport and the Las Vegas Strip.
Efforts to Increase Pedestrian Safety Take Hold in Nevada and Kentucky
With a new Governors Highway Safety Association report estimating that the number of pedestrian fatalities jumped 10 percent in 2015, the highest ever, we look at efforts in Nevada and Louisville, Ky. to increase pedestrian safety.
Viva Las House Flipping
While the practice of flipping houses has not yet returned to its pre-recession levels, one city in particular, is climbing quickly back to peak levels: Las Vegas.
Students Submitting Ideas for the Hyperloop
As a part of a competition sponsored by SpaceX, university students and independent engineering teams are building scale-model Hyperloop pods.
Vanishing Act for Free Parking on the Las Vegas Strip
Among other things, the Las Vegas Strip is famous for seemingly infinite numbers of free parking spots. MGM, however, will soon change the game.

Downtown Reno: A Place Where Nobody Dared to Go
Residents of Reno, Nevada participating in a rewrite of the city’s master plan have spoken out about the myriad of problems afflicting their downtown—it's dirty, dangerous, and deserted.
Wise Use Movement Galvanizes Oregon Wildlife Refuge Occupation
In an news analysis for The New York Times Sunday Review, Alan Feuer sees the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon as another struggle between the Wise Use movement, which began is the 1980s, and the mainstream.

Las Vegas Transit Plan Includes Light Rail
To alleviate tourist traffic and serve residents, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada has unveiled a long-term plan to invest billions in transit improvements including light rail and an expanded monorail.
Where Climate Change Means Diminished Snowpacks, Water Supplies
A new study by researchers at Columbia University estimates how predicted changes in the levels and locations of snowfall will affect water supplies.
Las Vegas to Go 100 Percent Renewable Energy by 2017
"Every city light, city park, community center, fire station and service yard," in Sin City will be powered by renewable energy in January 2017, according to an announcement by Mayor Carolyn Goodman.
Challenges and Opportunities Found in Nevada's 'Diversity Explosion'
A rapidly changing population might make Nevada a more thorough exemplar of the challenges and opportunities presented by the "diversity explosion" than its neighboring state to the west.

Chinese Bullet Train to Come to American Southwest
America's third planned high-speed rail line received good news on Sept. 17, by entering an agreement with China Railway Group to receive $100 million to start building the 230-mile line from Victorville, Calif. to Las Vegas.

Disturbing Similarities between Vegas and Pyongyang
Essayist and novelist Pico Iyer visits Las Vegas and Pyongyang in rapid succession to find that the capital of freedom and fun is not so dissimilar from the wan capital of the Hermit Kingdom.
Stays in Vegas: Six Neighborhoods Considered for National Register of Historic Places
A city famous for reinventing by any means necessary is looking to preserve some of its history.
Swords Into Ploughshares: Guns Transformed Into Rebar for Bridges and Freeways
Guns taken off the streets by California police agencies have become a new source of materials for steel reinforcement on bridges and freeways around the Southwest.
Learning from the Las Vegas Recovery
The recovery of Las Vegas, hit hard by the Great Recession, resembles the recovery of the rest of the country—uneven and innovative.
President Obama Designates Three New National Monuments
President Barack Obama once again called upon the Antiquities Act to further his legacy as a champion of public lands. A famous example of land art will gain protection under the action.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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