-- meeting 10 dec

John and Leah and I met to go through our material thus far.  we had sort of a strategizing discussion, looking at how we are constructing our arguments and how site and program are beginning to fold in.  notes for me:

-- argument to better highlight: Las Vegas is the type of city that conceals process--the becoming of the image.  everything just is in front of you without evidence of being made, learned, developed...and this means there has been little to no attention to the development or process of the rest of the city.  an urban center however might capture that.

-- be prepared to shut down other discussions that could derail my intended conversation, i.e. have a brilliant 3-sentence response ready to put an end to potential sideline objections.  I am interested in examining contemporary physical vs non-physical interaction in relationship to designing for the physical (urban) realm.  while I am rejecting propaganda that conflates physical and virtual socialization, my interests are not in that conflict but to set up the discussion of physical space in the city.

-- in terms of potential overlap/appropriated/threshold program, I should further examine existing constituents in the city.  where does overlap or deformation occur?  kitchens serving multiple programs, for example.  develop close program analysis through more specific versions of the diagrams I'm working with.

-- document draft to be submitted next wednesday 17 dec.

and p.s. news from LV today:

"Casinos on the Strip suffered through their worst month in at least 25 years in October, as the gaming win dropped 25.7 percent.  Statewide, casinos recorded their biggest monthly decline, 22.3 percent.  The only category of slot machines that showed an increase were penny slots, which were up 10 percent."  ( "Strip gaming win plummets 25 percent in October," Las Veags Sun, Dec 10 2008)

"When Nellis Air Force Base was built, it was surrounded by open space, which was ideal. But now Nellis is feeling the pinch of the Las Vegas Valley’s growth.  North Las Vegas officials don’t want to stop plans to bring more development and people to the city. And there is little the Air Force can do to stop the city.  Nellis commander Col. Howard Belote fears that with the possibility the open space nearby will be developed, 'the reason for Nellis to exist is almost gone.'  Considering the national and local importance of the base, North Las Vegas should be a good neighbor and work with the Air Force instead of taking actions that could push the base out of town."  ("Pressed for space," Las Vegas Sun, Dec 10 2008)

"A survey released Monday by the American Public Transportation Association in Washington found a 6.5 percent increase in the use of public transportation in this country from July through September over the same period a year ago even as gas prices began to fall.  The ridership bug extended to Southern Nevada, where the Regional Transportation Commission served 6.15 million bus riders in October, the most ever for a single month. The commission is also on pace to exceed 65 million passengers this year, another record." ("Mass transit mania," Las Vegas Sun, Dec 10, 2008)