Unveiling Vegas: urbanism at the nexus of private profit and public policy

摘要

In the capitalist economy of the United States, the material city is largely built by the private sector, especially investors, developers, and builders. How does public policy interface with this private dynamic of the contemporary American city? The purpose of this article is to craft an empirical analysis of the private/public interface of one of the most high-profile projects of the early 21st century: CityCenter in Las Vegas, Nevada. Based on site visits, visual documentation, interviews, and analysis of government documents and other reports, the article demonstrates how the role of public policy is in fact shaped by private initiatives, corporate discourse, and profit motives at the cost of public benefits. The article concludes with insights into the process of urbanism, including how intertwined the private and public realms actually are, and ways in which the benefits of urban projects are unevenly distributed through this private profit/ public policy nexus.