General Statement
Postmodernism is a term used to refer to the general changes that occur in the institutions. The term modern refers to the present and postmodernism refers to events that happened after modernism. Postmodernism came into being in the 20th century and it covered the theories that related to changes in the literature, architecture, design, drama as well as the various changes that are experienced in our economic and industrial cultures. The changes that have occurred after the era of modernism have given a new wave to the value and the condition or state of the institutions today.
The overall considerations of the changes in the politics, economics, culture, philosophy, and institutions has given rise to new cities which are referred to as the postmodern cities. In the global sphere, a postmodern city has been attached to various changes which reflect the cultural framework of the city, changes in the economy, and a new orientation in the post-industrial capitalist society. Postmodernism gives a reflection of post-modern city that depicts a lot of fun in the lifestyles of the locals, freedom, and also sex.
Summary
Postmodernism describes the appreciation of the changes that occur in today’s institutions, culture, economy and how these changes are sustained. The structure of a postmodern city has been defined by various scholars. This has given rise to questioning of what the postmodern city really comprises in terms of the various described changes that are deemed to have occurred after modernism. The paper assesses the query of what the postmodern city looks like and what changes one would expect to find in these cities as opposed to other cities.
The paper also analyses the theory of Las Vegas being the first postmodern city in the world. An in depth study of the changes, structure, culture among other changes are analyzed against the description of the postmodern city. The final analysis takes a look at other cities and gives a statement on their ability to be considered as contenders to the consideration of being postmodern cities against Las Vegas. Each of these sections comprises different descriptions of the topic, examples, background, and conclusions of how the topics support the thesis.
Thesis
A postmodern city must have defined characteristics and conditions that must be satisfied in order for that city to be considered postmodern. In the global category, Las Vegas was the first city to meet these conditions and is therefore considered the first postmodern city in the world. Over time, other cities have struggled to meet the prescribed conditions and this therefore means that there must be other contenders of the postmodern city description.
What Does a Postmodern City Look Like?
The issues related to the postmodern idea emerged with the reactions that were brought forward against modernism. Post-modern cities are created through the recognition of the key principles and values that lead to their formation and sustaining. Postmodern city can be defined with the rise of the invention of tradition by imitating older forms. This has been referred to as historical eclecticism. Another feature of a postmodern city is the presence of multi-culture which has its roots to the locality and the ethnicity of the people who occupy the region.
The final aspect of the postmodern city is the commercialization and the theater. The post-modern city gives a reflection of the change from modernism to postmodernism through the changes in the economic and also the cultural codes. The postmodern city is described to be more flexible in the economic issues. The city has better methods of mass production which incorporate international considerations. There is a great transition from the Fordist system of mass production to flexible methods of accumulation. The city is also deemed to have a lot of space that incorporates self-contained cities and also continued rediscovery of the local aspects.
Other features that incorporate the postmodern city include the overlapping themes such as contextualism, historicism, regionalism, anti-universalism, collage, reflexivity, self-referentiality, fragmentation, commercialism, politicization among others. The rise of the postmodern cities is viewed as change of values which are brought about by activities of the communities with the consideration of pluralism and also regionalism, the urban design, mixed ecological approaches, and also pedestrian design (Burbank, 2005, p17).
The postmodern cities are comprised of various urban designs which place the city beyond competition with other cities. The urban planning in these cities is more directed to the issues related to age and their different ideas towards the planning of the city. The postmodern cities focus on projecting a city that has very attractive images. The environmental, historical, and public image is a major consideration in the urban planning. The planning and design usually addresses the global competition, public realm, and the sustainability of the city. The social aspect of the city is greatly influenced by cultural vocabulary which gives a new look into the culture and the ethnicity of the region. Environmental factors are also considered as they relate to the biodiversity and energy efficiency.
According to Robert, postmodern cities are more cynical about the future and they delight in the uncertainty. They are more expressed using a description of their art; literature and also music. The postmodern cities are also differentiated in the structure of urban design, planning, and also transportation (1997, p23).
Other scholars such as Docker describe the postmodern city as reflecting a variety of approaches in designing the urban city. This include the approaches related to the urban public space, street lights, traffic, aspects that affect the culture, commercial predominance, and social behavior of the locals (1994, p34). He further clarifies that postmodern cities are continuously involved in the preservation and the renovation of the older buildings such as housing, offices, and institutional buildings and also the commercial strips into more compatible and attractive housing.
In his research about the description of the postmodern city, John (1999) describes the new approach of rebuilding the cities that has been up taken by major cities which are trying to achieve the level of the postmodern city. In his book, he states that:
“… There is a great decline in the heavy and manufacturing industries that have dominated the modern city. This has since been replaced by the increasing importance of the post industrial industries. The changes have also been coupled by a change in the social and the demography of the cities. These processes reflect a lot of diversion in terms of space and also social formations and this has had a great effect in impacting change on the upcoming postmodern cities. These changes are described as advancing capitalism into the postmodern outlook. There is a new global symbol in the economy which depicts change into massive mass production and consumption. Other changes in the postmodern cities include a diversion in culture and the image of the cities into more projected images.” (p 64).
This exhibit clearly indicates that these cities must undergo various changes in the social, cultural, political, environmental, and also economic changes in order to achieve the goal of a postmodern city. There is proof on the ground of many cities moving away from the modern industries in the post modern industries which include the banking services, advertising, financial sector, and other retail sectors such as entertainment and leisure. This has seen the move into mass production which is demonstrated by the new era of capitalism.
The cities organize their economic structure in a manner that will sustain the post-industrial sectors of their economy. Most of the activities in the postmodern cities have moved to the service sector. There is a shift to the production and consumption culture. Changes in culture are demonstrated by the new outlook of the city which is appealing to the public. Post modern cities are therefore generally shaped by the city style, urban design and also culture.
The above discussion clearly agrees with the thesis that the formation of the postmodern city must be met with some conditions. The studies and research performed on the design, structure and the appearance of the postmodern cities clearly brings out some crucial factors that any city working towards this goal must fulfill. Various changes must be performed especially on the issues related to art, culture, urban design, politics and also the economic sphere of the city.
The changes performed on these cities must not only meet the needs of the local people but it must be possible to attract other cultures into the city. Changes made in the city must continually be reinvented in order to meet the needs of the changing multicultural population. This therefore means that the formation of such a city must factor in the sustainability of changes in the social culture.
Is Las Vegas the World’s First Postmodern City?
The elements that are traced in Las Vegas are a great role model for other upcoming postmodern cities. Las Vegas used to be described as the city of sin and it is known to be one of the fastest growing cities in America. The city has been described as the city with exemplary growth in the twentieth century. This city began its transformations back in the 1980’s and has developed over the years to become America’s most thriving city.
The city has a population that is estimated to 603,093 as at U.S Census bureau 2008. In its bid to become a postmodern city, Las Vegas started by reinventing its image of Disney by constructing hotels that were very appealing to the visitors and also attractive in the environment. It has seen through various changes in culture which is clearly revealed in its environment. The city has many fantasy buildings along its Las Vegas strip which are not similar to each other.
The city has a variety of modern entertainment that keeps its visitors coming back. Sceneries and entertainment in this city are sufficient enough for families since it satisfies both adults and their children. It has monuments such as the Luxor hotel and casino which is described as an imitated version of the ancient Egypt (Transparency now). The pyramid-shaped hotel provides the visitors with great scenery of mystery images. Other postmodern commercial businesses include a variety of cultural hotels such as the Polynesian and the Chinese hotels. McCracken (1997)
The city has an international history about its major activities such as gambling, shopping malls and entertainment. Las Vegas is actually referred to as the entertainment capital of the world. It is a major setting area for major films and programs. The lighting in the Las Vegas Strip is superb just like other areas in the city. The spacing in the city makes it the brightest area in the world. The growth of the city has mainly been attributed to its legalizing of gambling as a legal business in 1931.
The city is also known as the pioneer of the trails to the west through its rail road of the 1900 (Littlejohn, 1999, p10). Most of the surrounding areas shipped their goods from here to the rest of the country. The economy of this region basically concentrates with the involvement in tourism, gaming and also conventions which in turn provide a basis for the other retail and dining industries. The Major drive of this economy is therefore the service industry. It serves as the headquarters for the world’s largest gaming companies.
Other major companies focus on the production of the gaming machines and marketing of tourism services. Its major technologies are concentrated in the electronic gaming and telecommunication sectors. Cultural trends in the city include the celebration of local artists and musicians on the first Friday of every month. Other cultures include the zoology and botanical parks besides the performing of different arts such as dances, opera, orchestra which are aimed at attracting and entertaining tourists. The city is also involved in sports although this is not a major event in Las Vegas (Burbank, 2005, p23).
Various studies have been documented regarding the growth and the transformations of the Vegas city as a postmodern city. Smith and Valerie (2000) trace the development of the city to its heavy investment in architectural sociology. The various architectural forms in the city have had a great effect on its cultural transformations. The city is continuously changing and always reinventing its marketing strategies, culture, and very high incorporation of technology. This in turn has resulted to mass production, especially in its service sector (P1). They describe the city as one with impossibilities in its achievements, especially with its predominant characteristics of differentiation, approach in technology, diversity, simulation, and commodification.
Brien, 1995 further describes the development of the city as the reinvention of the dead or old styles into modernity which is characterized by a lot of potentials, individualism, and personalities. They reinforce the fact that the city basically developed due to its distinguished architectural works and also differentiated culture. He also points out the great development of the city owing to technology, especially electronic gaming. The study also explores the great nature of the hotels in the region which are well designed to fit the modern culture.
Springer editions (1995) also bring out the importance of architectural works in Las Vegas besides its dominance in the gambling sector. They argue that Las Vegas was made a postmodern city owing to its architecture which brought out a new city. Other postmodern elements in the city such as the reconstruction of the Las Vegas city has made the city to move to higher levels of gambling. They conclude that postmodernism is generally owed to the cultural aspects and framework that is adopted by the city.
Las Vegas is a city that has invested in the reproduction and invention of original ideas which demonstrate a lot of creativity in their culture. This has enabled the city to have a variety of new technologies which are adopted to sustain the economy and the culture of the city. This makes it very differentiated from other cities in that it has very distinguished and unique features.
Smith and Valerie, 2000 bring out a very clear description of the city which makes it the most vibrant city in the world where all things can be experimented or invented; “Everything that is supposedly enjoyed and experienced can be encountered on the grandest of scales in Las Vegas, including the New York Skyline, the great monuments of Paris, instantaneous escapes to Rio, the exotic lure of Asia at Mandalay Bay, the pyramids and mysteries of ancient Egypt, the Caesars, queens, and gladiators of ancient Rome, sinking pirate ships, remembrances of early Hollywood, and dueling Knights of the Round table.
The belief is that anything that can be imagined can also be designed and accomplished in Las Vegas.”(p1)The ideas brought out in its description indicate that Las Vegas is a city that has strived to bring changes that are unique in their kind. There is no other city in the whole world that has been described to bear the descriptions of the ever changing features, economy and culture which sufficiently satisfies a multitude of people all over the world. The exhibit brings out the different architectural works of the city which describe the great works of invention and renovation that characterize the city. The culture of impossibility makes the locals achieve great heights in sustaining Las Vegas as a postmodern city.
The description and the debate brought forward by various studies leave no doubt of Las Vegas being the world’s first postmodern city. The different features and elements found in the city meet the characteristics described to form a postmodern city. It is described as a role model for other cities. This has seen other cities imitate its culture of reconstructing, invention and also innovation to create a distinguished postmodern city. The uniqueness of the city in its transformations and sustained changes in architecture, culture, economy urban developments and design in world’s history support the thesis that Las Vegas is the pioneer of the postmodern cities in the world.
Are There Any Other Contenders?
Other Cities within the nation have been competing to achieve the heights of the Las Vegas city. This includes cities such as Florida City, Las Angeles and Miami. Florida is a city that has endeavored to hire very qualified architects in bid to improve on its image by constructing very appealing buildings. The architects are expected to factor in the art of cultural buildings in masking renovations within the city. This led to the successful creating of the Guggenheim art museum. The city strives to achieve comfort levels for its residents. The city has also put effort in creation of new parks and investing in public spaces among other urban developments. Other transformations have been greatly invested in the economic changes, culture, symbolic manipulations and constructions.
The city of Las Angeles has made various attempts in meeting the elements of a postmodern city. However, this city has been met with a lot of challenges such as the limited geographical space. The activities in the city such as the entertainment and advertising do not bring out the city as a center for fun and freedom. The architectural considerations of the city are also low compared to Las Vegas. The city has high incorporation of technology especially in industrial development. The region has made a remarkable approach to urban design changes which feature the self contained urban space. The city also experienced a great transformation in its financial sector in the 20th century (Jeff, 2005, p23). This marked its efforts in the reexamination of urban growth.
The financial transformations were characterized by widened gaps which brought great dynamics in the banking sector. This is reflected in the social changes within the community which featured social inequality. Miami on the other hand is a city that has placed its focus on the social and cultural foundations. The approach to the postmodern city is focused on the changes in the social races and ethnicity. Its efforts also depict a wider scope in the changes towards identity of power and definition of politics. The city also takes a new look into its housing developments and institution such as schools.
Previous studies indicate that a city such as Los Angeles has greatly anticipated constructing unique full service shopping malls such as supermarkets, restaurants and other retail shopping malls that are distinguished from other cities. The city has also made changes in its fashion and design of the housing units (Jeff, 2005, p25).
The city of Florida has been involved in the efforts of redesigning the city over the past few years. Wilkerson, 2000 describes the various programs that have been initiated in Miami to make improvements on the neighborhood, economic growth and prosperity and also introduction of more diversified entertainment blogs. These programs have been designed in a manner that will incorporate changes as the social and economic cultures assume different directions. This serves as a step towards satisfying the cultural needs of the changing society (p28).
Main developments especially in Florida and Las Angeles describe their endeavors to compete with the Las Vegas city in being postmodern cities. Wilkerson, 2000 took a greater depth into the study of these cities and states that:
“Los Angeles has set the pace for privatized, unplanned and sprawling growth into post-modernism. The city developed to be the host of a vast number of public parks and backyard swimming pools. Florida has not been left behind in its efforts to create changes in economy, culture, and architectural works.” (p31).
This statement supports the existence of competitors into development of postmodern cities. The cities have invested to make various changes as depicted above in the urban designs, buildings, culture, economy among other changes required to meet the requirements of a postmodern city.
The developments in the above cities indicate that Las Vegas is in competition with many other cities which are effortlessly trying to make changes to meet the characteristics described for the postmodern city. The uniqueness in the transformations of the Las Vegas city still leaves it as a very distinguished postmodern city.
In conclusion, the study thesis can be described to be 80% accurate as the research that has been taken on the study brings out the true picture of the postmodern cities. The previous studies conducted by the previous scholars have greatly supported the thesis. The studies have brought out the various conditions that are considered essential for any city to be considered as a postmodern city. The thesis that certain conditions must be met therefore turns out to be true.
The development and the transformation of the Las Vegas city were unique in its kind and this makes the research more accurate in proposing that Las Vegas was the first postmodern city in the world. Over the years, other cities have been in the race to meet the postmodernism elements and this lays a background for competition of Las Vegas with other cities. This study however leaves room for further studies and research into the topics in order to prove or disprove the thesis.
Lastly, I would like to recommend a visit to the city of Las Vegas to the individuals who have never been into this region. A visit to such a city always gives the visitors a great experience of marvelous sceneries and entertainment. Just like it has been described as a postmodern city, it is truly a city of fun where everyone would like to spend their leisure time. It is always a welcoming, entertaining, and satisfactory place to be.
References
David Littlejohn (1999). The real Las Vegas: Life beyond the trip. Oxford University Press.
Jeff Burbank (2005). Las Vegas Babylon: True tales of glitter, glamour and greed. New York.
John Docker (1994). Postmodernism and popular culture: A historical history. Cambridge University Press.
Kevin O’Brien (1995). Fear and loving in Las Vegas – the concept of pastiche in postmodernism. Web.
Robert D McCracken (1997). Las Vegas: The great American playground. University of Nevada Press.
Ron Smith and Valerie Bugni. Defining Architectural Sociology. Web.
Springer (1995). “Postmodern” Las Vegas and its effect on gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, Springer Netherlands. Web.
Thomas Ainlay, Judy Dixon and Charles, Sc (2003). Las Vegas: the fabulous first century. Arcadia publications.
Transparency now. Las Vegas: Postmodern City of Casinos and Simulation. Web.
W.R. Wilkerson (2000). The man who invented Las Vegas. Beverly Hills.