Changing Views on Historical Conservation in Cities

Historic preservation has become a major force in urban development, urban planning, and city design. It has been propelled into the stream of political action, and controversy, because of a series of demographic, economic, and legal changes which have generated a "back-to-the-city" movement. This movement, although still highly selective in area, particularly affects older urban neighborhoods with distinctive architectural quality and downtown areas with a stock of old but distinctive buildings. The 1966 Historic Preservation Act, especially the provisions of Section 106, is comparable to the National Environmental Policy Act in its impact on redevelopment in built-up areas and in its requirement for environmental impact statements in natural settings. An expanded federal law calling for the inclusion of properties on the National Register of Historic Places and the creation of the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation creates leverage for the national heritage movement in development decisions. The 1966 Historic Preservation Act gives advantages to rehabilitating historic properties rather than to demolishing them and also includes economic disincentives to those who would construct new properties on those sites. This same law provides for federal certification of local historic districts in order to establish eligibility for the tax provisions. Developments in historic preservation are changing local planning and zoning concepts.