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The past and future city : how historic preservation is reviving America's communities
2016
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Publishers Weekly Review
Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and speechwriter Murphy make an impassioned and well-argued case for the economic, environmental, and social value of preservation and active reuse of the nation's historic buildings. Drawing on data collected by the trust's own Preservation Green Lab as well as a half-century of urban studies scholarship, Meeks and Murphy seek to counteract the stereotype that preservationists resist change and contribute to gentrification. Across seven chapters, the authors use concrete examples of preservation working to strengthen local communities, encourage economic revitalization, support environmental sustainability, and provide affordable residential and business real estate. They advocate persuasively for preservation that seeks to document all of America's histories, as well as for policies that work to counteract social and economic inequalities. Though smalltown and rural America do appear, the authors disproportionately focus on urban centers such as Boston, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. At times the work reads as a celebration of the National Trust's positive influence on the United States. These weaknesses aside, the book is an articulate call to action that should be of interest to scholars, community organizers, and policy makers in municipalities across the country. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
CHOICE Review
In mainly laudatory, albeit balanced, prose, Meeks and Murphy (both, National Trust for Historic Preservation) ably unveil historic preservation's recent role in revitalizing urban communities in the US, especially the nation's once scabrous inner cities. They particularly focus on how today's affluent young millennials are discovering and resurrecting once-impoverished old urban neighborhoods. Part urban sociology/anthropology, part paean to the Jane Jacobs-inspired "new" historic preservation movement, the book's seven chapters systematically explain how preserved old buildings (architecturally distinguished or not) cost-effectively reinvigorate urban life in big cities, as well as places like Frederick, Maryland. Although rich in stories of salvaged handball courts in LA as well as adaptively reused old mill buildings, the authors' impassioned caveats against gentrification and pleas for preserving racial and socioeconomic inclusivity reverberate throughout the final chapters. The book nicely complements Andrew Hurley's Beyond Preservation: Using Public History to Revitalize Inner Cities (2010). Summing Up: Recommended. Public libraries and general and undergraduate collections. --John F. Bauman, University of Southern Maine
Booklist Review
Polls consistently find that people's favorite neighborhoods and city blocks almost always contain older buildings. These areas, with their mixed-use, 24/7 activity, also tend to have more consistent commerce and favor the Great Inversion of wealthier citizens returning to city centers. Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, explains (with coauthor Murphy) that historic preservation is now focused not only on protecting buildings but also on keeping older structures active and integral to their surroundings. She also cites obstacles to sustaining or creating vital city neighborhoods. Urban density is usually good, but areas packed with cookie-cutter high-rises lack the character to compete with more distinct areas. Affordable urban housing is also hindered by warehousing, or keeping older buildings off the market for future development. Preservation is important environmentally. Building demolition has a huge carbon footprint and often destroys pre-thermostat structures that were inherently green by design. Meeks even taps moral aspects of zoning regulation. Thoughtful and engaging, Meeks reveals how historic preservation is more about smart, managed change than simple conservation.--Carr, Dane Copyright 2016 Booklist
Summary
In this volume, the author describes in detail, and with unique empirical research, the many ways that saving and restoring historic fabric can help a city create thriving neighborhoods, good jobs, and a vibrant economy. She explains the critical importance of preservation for all our communities, the ways the historic preservation field has evolved to embrace the challenges of the twenty-first century, and the innovative work being done in the preservation space now.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgmentsp. xi
Introduction: The Powers of Placep. 1
Chapter 1Downtown Is for People: Compering Visions of the Ideal American Cityp. 25
Chapter 2Older, Smaller, Better: How Older Buildings Enhance Urban Vitalityp. 43
Chapter 3Making It Work for Your City: Unleashing the Power and Potential of Historic Fabricp. 69
Chapter 4Buildings Reborn: Keeping Historic Properties in Active Usep. 133
Chapter 5Our Diverse History: Toward More Inclusive History and Communitiesp. 163
Chapter 6Mitigating the Great Inversion: The Problems of Affordability and Displacementp. 201
Chapter 7The Greenest Buildings: Preservation, Climate Change, and the Environmentp. 235
Conclusion: The Future of the Past: Livable Cities and the Future of Preservationp. 257
Notesp. 263
Bibliographyp. 313
About the Authorsp. 321
Indexp. 323
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