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How do you create places for locals in a city built for tourists?

After slicing open a coat of fading paint on the side of an abandoned motel on East Fremont Street, my colleagues show me layer after layer of eccentric colors: Robin’s Egg Blue, Sea-foam Green, Pontiac Red. The layers read like tree rings chronicling the rise and fall of Downtown Las Vegas, a story echoed in the skeletons of what were once brilliant neon signs that beckoned motorists to pull in and stay.

We’re standing in the courtyard of just one of dozens of fading midcentury relics in the shadow of downtown’s Casino Center, and a far cry from the places that regularly appear in tourism campaigns or bachelor party stories. But unlike the rest of the valley, this area still maintains much of its historic character.


John Moody is an urban designer & strategist specializing in experience design, creative placemaking & visual storytelling. Let’s connect!  ~ john.s.moody@gmail.com