City Plate, Las Vegas

Part of our second series of City Plates. The theme of this second collection is “Culture and Capital(ism),” and the cities chosen are New Orleans and Washington, D.C., both rich in history and culture, and the booming megalopolises of Las Vegas and Dubai. With this theme we ask: how does a capital investment in manufacturing culture impact city form Las Vegas – The capital of sin. Compared to New Orleans and most other American cities the amount of capital flowing into Las Vegas is staggering. According to the latest estimates, Las Vegas gaming revenues in 2006 totaled about $6.5 billion. Big dollars mean big development; the Vegas building boom is shown on the plate in red. The mammoth scale of Las Vegas casinos is stunning when compared to the White House or the Capitol building seen on the Washington, D.C. plate. The glitzy Vegas strip is shown in white and water is rendered in blue. Other plates in the collection feature large expanses of natural blue water, but the only notable water in Las Vegas resides in the pools and fountains dotted along the Strip. The amount of green space found in the Vegas plate design is also miniscule. Lacking in large, public, outdoor spaces, the green area does not represent public parks; it instead denotes private golf courses. The City Plates measure 12 across. Key buildings are represented with persimmon icons, while rivers and public spaces are shown in blue and green.