From CEOs for Cities:

Historic Preservation and the Identity of a City

Photo from flick user JasonParis

Every city has its own unique identity.  This identity is embodied in its citizens and also its buildings.  For example, Boston is defined by its narrow winding streets and historic brick colonial buildings; and New Orleans is defined by its multiculturalism and unique French architecture.  Architecture is a physical representation of the history of a city, and a city’s history is perhaps the most important aspect of its identity.  Historic preservation does not only mean preserving old buildings, but means preserving the entire identity of a city. Read More.

Making Historic Preservation Economically Viable: Heritage Tourism

Photo from Historic Fresno

One potential way to make historic preservation more economically viable is through a heritage tourism platform.  This can be an attractive economic revitalization strategy, providing a larger source of sustained revenue for a community, creating new businesses, increasing tax revenues, and fostering job growth.  Together, historic preservation and heritage tourism have the potential to generate greater civic pride and promote a community’s unique character. Read more.

Demolition Insurance

 

What happens when a factory or warehouse closes down? The Atlantic Cities covers a proposed solution where companies could be required to take out insurance to cover the cost of future demolition, forcing companies to “financially plan for a property’s end-game.” There is some hope that prompting companies to keep tabs on their buildings and production may reduce their waste footprint, but there are mixed reactions to this plan. Should the government be responsible for the demolition or should we hold companies responsible for the future maintenance after they leave?  Share your ideas with us by using #DemolitionInsurance on Twitter.

Photo: The Atlantic Cities

Powering Our Historic Buildings

Will installing solar panels on the roofs of America’s historic buildings be the next big step in conscious historic preservation? Utilizing solar panels may be both an economic and environmental solution to help meet the electricity needs of many historic buildings. Controversy settles on whether or not visitors can see the solar panels, affecting the aesthetics of the historical buildings. Abandoned commercial buildings have also been used to create solar power plants. While the new wave of green technology becomes ever more economical and advanced, this hot topic will surely be explored in more depth. For now, read more on the PreservationNation Blog about this nationwide innovation.