8 Tips for

UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEXITIES OF HISTORIC DISTRICTS

1. Historic districts bolster communities.Historic districts attract people back to cities. A growing number of people—led by the young, diverse, millennial generation—are choosing to live, work, and play in historic neighborhoods.

2. Historic districts tell America’s diverse, complex history.Many historic districts are home to generations of working class families, and help tell the stories of immigration, industrialization and other topics.

3. Historic districting is about keeping buildings alive and relevant.Zoning and building regulations need to be flexible even as they preserve what is special about a neighborhood or area.

4. Historic districts also benefit non-residents.Each year, millions visit New York’s Lower East Side, Chicago’s Pullman community, and other historic districts to learn about different eras in American history.

5. Historic preservation can be conducive to affordable housing.Older buildings are often well equipped to provide affordable housing because they were designed to serve multiple families and uses. Across America, adaptive reuse projects are converting schools, warehouses, and other buildings to housing.

6. Historic districts can limit tall development, but density can still be achieved.As the urban planner Jeff Speck notes, “Boston’s North End, in Jane Jacobs’ day, achieved 275 dwelling units per acre with hardly an elevator in sight.”

7. Historic districts’ restrictions don’t have to be burdensome.If regulations are approached with homeowners’ rights in mind, they don’t have to limit the autonomy of individuals.

8. Historic districts can protect a property owner’s investment.Regulations are intended to prevent the demolition or inappropriate alteration of historic properties—the fabric of the historic district that gives properties their value. This can be particularly useful in times of economic crisis, natural disasters, or when irresponsible private interests surface.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation works to save America’s historic places. Preservation Tips & Tools helps others do the same in their own communities.

For more information, visit SavingPlaces.org.

Photos courtesy: Onasill~Bill Badzo/Flickr/CC BY-NC ND; Brent Moore/Flickr/CC BY-NC; Nitram242/Flickr/CC BY-2.0; Kent Kanouse/Flickr/CC BY-NC; InSapphoWeTrust/Flickr/CC BY-SA; Joe Wolf/Flickr/CC BY-ND; Joe Parks/Flickr/CC BY-NC; Steven Martin/Flickr/CC BY-NC ND; StreetsofWashington/Flickr/CC BY-NC