In a rebuttal to criticisms leveled at historic preservation districts, Stephanie Meeks of the National Trust for Historic Preservation argues that historic preservation has value and can aid in creating affordable housing.
Writing in CityLab, Stephanie Meeks asks that critics who claim that historic preservation districts are contributing to a lack of affordable housing in our cities take a step back and find "ways to increase density and affordability in cities that don’t involve destroying the historic fabric of our communities."
Meeks writes that the benefits from our historic neighborhoods are both tangible and intangible. They connect residents to their neighborhoods and to those who came before, creating what Meeks describes as "living history lessons." In addition, many of our older neighborhoods hold opportunities for the adaptive reuse of the existing building stock to create multi-family units. Creating density in older neighborhoods doesn’t always require tearing down existing buildings to build taller.
Economists such as Edward Glaeser have argued that historic districts prevent affordability by limiting tall and dense new development that could fit everyone. But, as the urban planner Jeff Speck points out in Walkable City, 'economists don’t seem to have fully processed one thing the designers know, which is how tremendously dense a city can become at moderate heights.'
FULL STORY: Why Historic Preservation Districts Are Crucial to Cities
California Bill Seeks to Balance Preservation and Housing Demand
A bill awaiting the governor’s signature would require cities to report new historic preservation ordinances and assess how they impact local housing supplies.
Restoring the Vacant Middle: Creating Middle Housing Through Historic Preservation
How flexible zoning in historic districts can support preservation and create affordable housing.
Whose History Is Being Preserved, Exactly?
As the housing crisis continues, advocates are increasingly wary of historic preservation efforts that serve to perpetuate historic inequities and keep housing costs high.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent
Low-cost interventions aimed at slowing traffic are making a major impact on road safety.
How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
Converting single-family homes to triplexes can ease the housing crisis and offer affordable, flexible options for more households. Why is it largely illegal?
Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.
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Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research