Spain's capital may build a huge casino, but many fear that the facility will flounder in the way similar mega-projects have in the past.
A casino and resort built on 330 acres outside Spain's capital, with a Broadway-style theater, a 4,000 bed hotel and, of course, gambling, will bring 1.6 million new tourists to the area, its proponents claim. "The regional government suggests, the project could create 56,443 jobs, a real windfall for a region that has never quite found its feet again after the 2008 financial crisis," reports Feargus O'Sullivan in CityLab. The size of this entertainment complex and its Las Vegas-style concept, called Live! Resorts, would make it unique in Europe.
Some are suspicious of the promised gains of this mega-project, especially when similar projects have not taken off. "There was the €170 million ghost airport whose first flight took off five years after it was completed—a disaster project that still did better than another unused air terminal, which cost €1 billion to build but ended up being sold for €10,000," Sullivan writes. There was even a €30 billion casino project planned called Eurovegas which fell apart when developers were unable to secure an exemption to the country's indoor smoking ban.
FULL STORY: A New Plan to Turn Madrid Into Europe's Las Vegas
Spain's Colossal Casino Project Dealt a Bad Hand
Las Vegas Sands and its billionaire owner Sheldon G. Adelson have cancelled outlandish plans to build a $30 billion megacasino near Madrid.
Madrid Uses Transit System for Parcel Delivery to Cut Emissions
A new pilot program uses trains to deliver packages at off-peak hours, lowering emissions from trucks.
Madrid Has the Bike Infrastructure Model the U.S. Needs
A happy accident, Madrid may have stumbled onto a bike infrastructure program with great results. Only time will tell if "slow" lanes yield long-term positive results.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service