Improve Economic Competitiveness & Education

In coordination with organizations such as the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA), develop a regional approach to 1) assess the need for and implement infrastructure that can support a diversified economy and 2) recommend updates to landuse plans to match land use and transportation plans and policies.

Provide tools such as scenario planning analyses to local governments and the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) to develop land-use strategies that implement the Plan at the local level.

Coordinate the RTC’s Regional Transportation Plan and local government master plan updates with the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).

Conduct and publicize a regional inventory of available commercial and industrial land and facilities.

Work with local governments to bolster longer-term economic growth and development by designating employment lands for future industries, while mitigating the pressure to respond to short-term development demand for residential development.

Support community stakeholders to plan for regional educational and medical assets that support economic growth and diversification, such as a UNLV medical school.

Encourage quality housing and transit near existing medical facilities, schools and training programs to increase access to local medical providers and provide opportunities for residency programs in order to get doctors to stay in the region.

Identify how and where medical and educational institutions can be integrated into mixed-use developments in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods to stimulate economic vitality while offering needed services.

Provide housing options for healthcare workers near their place of employment that integrate parks, trails, and active transportation infrastructure.

Implement the four Opportunity Site strategies: Maryland Parkway, Boulder Highway at Broadbent/Gibson, Downtown North Las Vegas, and the Las Vegas Medical District and create and encourage the use of an infill and revitalization action plan for areas with similar characteristics to the four Opportunity Site strategies that identifies barriers to mixed-use development and suggests tools to overcome them.

Create a set of sample revitalization and renovation plans for existing buildings, which could be approved through a streamlined permitting process and implemented via low-cost loans, modest rehabilitation subsidies, or CDBG dollars, etc.

Make targeted enhancements in key infill areas to enhance walkability and connectivity to existing and new recreational, commercial and transportation options.

Preserve and enhance historic neighborhoods and allow appropriate infill and enhancements that can support the neighborhood's economic development.

Develop and build upon existing programs to promote reinvestment in business districts through sweat equity and volunteerism to create gathering spaces, improve safety, and stabilize neighborhoods.

Study market readiness and redevelopment potential for deteriorated commercial areas and underutilized strip retail developments.

Work with rural communities and small towns to implement economic development goals where comparative advantages align better than in urban areas of Clark County.

Identify placemaking improvements, regulatory changes and design standards to increase customer draw in areas with a unique flair (arts, antiques, international appeal, family-oriented, etc.).

Develop strategies to better connect residential demand with local commercial services and products to reduce retail leakage.

Identify, adopt and support programs that aid in the revitalization of local business districts, such as the arts district in downtown Las Vegas and areas with active business associations.

Identify neighborhoods that are well positioned to attract businesses from specific sectors and develop place-based strategies, cluster training, and workforce outreach efforts around those areas to reduce commute times and connect local residents to job opportunities.

Identify target industry locational needs, determine which industries are most likely to be successful in infill development, and develop a strategy to promote new development that accommodates them.

Assess potential and support for locally-owned business preferences, including co-working spaces.

Expand and pursue public market concepts that allow flexibility for a diverse range of businesses including micro-business, farmers markets, or public markets through a public-private partnership.

Provide tools and technical assistance to business districts to help increase their market draw.

Encourage the development of "third places," such as coffee shops or bars, essentially locations outside of work and home for people to meet and exchange ideas or work in a space with access to basic services such as WIFI at no charge, that help foster entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Explore community-based approaches to educational improvement and reform that focuses on improving the educational and developmental outcomes of children and youth in distressed communities, paying special attention to access to free preschools and all-day kindergarten.

Support updates to land-use plans based on the preferred land-use alternative, emphasizing relationships between revitalization, urban infill and education.

Support events and educational programming that address socioeconomic disparities and coordinate with partner organizations and initiatives to improve social equity.

Partner with Safe Routes to Schools to integrate safe walking and biking routes in new development areas to make neighborhoods more attractive. Prioritize investments that improve multi-modal school access.

Promote the integration of schools, parks, and community centers into neighborhoods.

Review the impacts of restrictive zoning on the educational system. (Restrictive zoning refers to zoning that limits the types or form of development in a specific area. For instance, development of higher density buildings may be banned in certain areas of the community.)

Work with the Clark County School District to prioritize repurposing and rehabilitation of deteriorating schools, especially in neighborhoods near the Opportunity Sites.

In the spirit of collaboration, research legislative changes (local, state and federal) necessary to allow the School District more flexibility with facility use and management with particular consideration for the role of regulations affecting Recreation & Public Purposes Act leases and BLM land and related impacts on schools on BLM property.

Consider changes to school design, including building schools with multiple stories and locating schools in infill areas, and consider repurposing commercial or vacant big-box retail spaces into schools.

Continue to strengthen the relationship between the CCSD and local governments to achieve shared goals for effective learning environments and educational performance.

Identify potential funding sources that could be directed to building or retrofitting schools so that they can support a better learning environment.

Encourage the local business community to support education and schools programs to better connect opportunities for student career mapping, mentoring, and educational needs of employers.

Implement the RTC's Regional Schools Multimodal Transportation Access Study to improve safety for children and promote a better overall environment near schools.

Collaborate with the Clark County School District, local governments and the RTC to address school siting requirements, including, but not limited to, separation of uses near planned school sites and bus access.

Promote the need for schools to be located adjacent to public facilities and Pre-K, health, social and educational services that support healthy families.

Elevate the importance of school siting as a strategic education and economic development initiative with the building and development industry, business community, local chambers and other stakeholders.

Co-locate schools and other learning facilities and community resources to capitalize on community skill sets and knowledge.

Pursue a stronger higher education system that includes a UNLV medical school, a tier 1 research institution, and Graduate Medical Education programming, (formal medical education either hospital sponsored or hospitalbased training) following completion of an M.D. or D.O. degree.

Collaborate with local higher education institutions to develop local revitalization and improvement efforts.

Align complementary plans, special area plans and incentives with regional target sector industries, such as medical districts.

Consider public investment in a center for research and development, in partnership with area universities, hospitals, the LVGEA, and businesses that can be leveraged to promote investment and stimulate more collaboration.