The Las Vegas Strip—Now Catering to Millennials

A travel article in the Dallas Morning News describes the Las Vegas Strip's recent changes as Las Vegas-style New Urbanism.

1 minute read

September 23, 2014, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


According to an article by Michael Hiller, "despite the desert heat, new shops on Las Vegas Boulevard face outward to the sidewalks rather than inside to casino gaming tables. The deck has been shuffled to more broadly appeal to millennials."

Although Downtown Las Vegas, old Las Vegas, incorporated Las Vegas, has been well documented in its Tony Hsieh-led revitalization efforts (although Hsieh still gets a gratuitous mention), we're talking about the Las Vegas Strip here. Nor are we talking about the contrived and starchitect-designed gesture to urbanism attempted by the City Center complex of hotels and shopping destinations.

Hiller lists three new hotels that have "embraced" the millennial attitude—the SLS Las Vegas, for instance, opened last month. At $415 million, the Southern California-inspired hotel is an "over-the-top version of the original SLS in Beverly Hills sports an industrial-chic design from Philippe Starc."

Also getting scant attention in the body of the article but featured as the image in the article's accompanying slideshow is another new addition, Linqa (deliberately) pedestrian-oriented, ersatz industrial district anchored by the world's largest Ferris wheel.

Friday, September 19, 2014 in Dallas Morning News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 7, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person in yellow safety suit and white helmet kneels to examine water samples outdoors on a lake shore.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure

If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

May 1, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Aerial view of Freeway Park cap park over I-5 interstate freeway in Seattle, Washington at night.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

April 30, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Concrete building wth Department of Housing and Urban Development sign

Blocked, Restored, Blocked Again — Housing Funds in Legal Limbo

Since Trump took office, the administration has blocked multiple affordable housing funding streams. Here's a look at which funds have been frozen, which have been reinstated, and which are in the courts.

45 minutes ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Close-up of dirty pipe at oil drilling operation.

Mapping Groundwater Risks from Orphan Wells Across U.S. Aquifers

A new USGS study reveals that more than half of the nation’s documented orphan wells lie within aquifers supplying the vast majority of U.S. groundwater, posing widespread risks of contamination from aging, unplugged infrastructure.

1 hour ago - EcoWatch

Two children sitting on rock sillhouetted against sky.

Reflections on Representation and Legacy in Parks and Public Service

In a personal reflection for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, planner Clement Lau explores how cultural identity, public service, and a commitment to equity have shaped his career in parks, community planning, and sustainability.

2 hours ago - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

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.