further research insight – at least one other credible source of information on

further research insight – at least one other credible source of information on the topic not used by the author (Wikipedia is not allowed).
2. your view of the topic and justification of the view – remember, this is your view of the topic NOT your view of the author’s opinion or their solution to the issue
3. and at least one (1) follow up question.
Keeping artists in the Arts District: City of Las Vegas proposing solutions to affordability crisis
Taken without permission from: https://www.fox5vegas.com/2024/01/18/keeping-artists-arts-district-city-las-vegas-proposing-solutions-affordability-crisis/
What is an Arts District without art? The City of Las Vegas knows the popular Downtown area has become too expensive for most artists and creators to live or work. Thursday night, they hosted a town hall to discuss solutions to the problem.
“The Arts District has exploded. Everybody wants to be there…Restaurants and bars have been moving in but that has been pushing the artists and the creatives out of the district,” shared Maggie Plaster, Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Director of the City of Las Vegas. More than 100 people packed into a historic theatre in the heart of the Arts District to strategize the area’s future.
“This is something 10 years overdue…the Arts District has been pricing itself out of reasonability for at least a decade now,” contended artist Brent Holmes. Holmes and fellow artist M Void say they have been priced out of the now pricey area.
“I think it is kind of ridiculous,” argued Void. “I cannot afford to live in the Arts District. I did about 10 years ago,” Holmes explained
During a presentation, the City of Las Vegas shared it aims to create affordable artist live/work housing. The City inviting in ArtSpace, a nonprofit real estate developer specializing in affordable spaces for artists in cities across the country.
“You want to keep your local talent in place so that they don’t move to other cities,” Wendy Holmes, Senior Vice-President of ArtSpace asserted. A feasibility study was conducted exploring potential sites, funding, and financing.
“In Las Vegas, it is going to be new construction most likely,” Wendy Holmes told FOX5.
In addition to creating new spaces for artists, the city is considering other solutions. “We will likely expand the district if we can get the support and we will just have a bigger Arts District than we do now,” Plaster revealed
Many artists say they need the help today, not years down the line.
“I think it great they are making efforts to do this, but I think the housing crisis is right now…I can’t wait three years for affordable housing. I need affordable housing now,” Brent Holmes said.
In addition to the public meeting, the City and ArtSpace are working together to conduct focus groups of artists, creatives, and cultural organizations to gather input from the community. ArtSpace will take all these elements to recommend next steps for the city.
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So, this article is designed to do two things – get us talking about relevant issues to this class and show that there really IS an arts district in Las Vegas and it is vibrant.
The reading really hits on two different things that are so important to Urban Development – diversity of land use and housing. So, lets look at diversity of land use first. In most cities / towns you have what is called a growth ring, it starts at main street back when the place was first created and then starts to grow out about every 10 years where the businesses and housing get farther and farther away from Main Street. While this is happening with the growth, main street area starts to rot away. Buildings start to degrade and unsavory behaviour starts to move in. At some point some courageous people take a chance on revitalization in the area and sometimes it works. In this case, it was an Arts District that worked for Las Vegas, NV and it worked huge! Now, many years later businesses want in to sell their wares, bars their drinks, shows their tickets, etc. and old housing (mainly apartments) get torn down to make room for the businesses. With the housing disappearing, what is left start to increase rents (the old supply and demand theory of business) and that causes the artists that made the area “cool” to be pushed out. As you read, it is an unfortunate result of success in redevelopment. There are those that say the City of Las Vegas should step in and help make affordable housing to keep the artists there. There are those that say that if the area is successful, then why can’t the artists make enough to either afford rents or move and commute in. And there are those that say this is not an issue the City should be involved in at all.
So, you are the brand new City Administrator for your town and the City Council have brought you this same problem above. How do you propose to solve it? Do you leave it alone and let business take care of itself? Do you get involved and look to tax breaks for those that would make affordable housing in the area? Do you do something completely else? In whatever you choose to do, don’t forget that this issue also has political ties to it as some (at least one) of the Council may represent the area and the Mayor the whole area – so address that concern as well.
Do your research (this is not the first City to have this issue), pick your path and defend your views. While you are at it, visit the Art District site at https://dtlvarts.com/ and impress your friends with how you are “hip” to the arts district in faboulous Las Vegas!