Historic district

Historic district area in Viljandi, Estonia
Historic district street sign in Ypsilanti, Michigan

A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from certain types of development.[1][2][3][4][5]

Historic districts may or may not also be the center of the city. They may be coterminous with the commercial district, administrative district, or arts district, or separate from all of these. Historical districts are often parts of a larger urban setting, but they can also be parts or all of small towns, or a rural areas with historic agriculture-related properties, or even a physically disconnected series of related structures throughout the region.[6]

Much criticism[7][8][9][10] has arisen of historic districts and the effect protective zoning and historic designation status laws have on the housing supply.[7] When an area of a city is designated as part of a 'historic district', new housing development is artificially restricted[8] and the supply of new housing permanently capped[7] in area so designated as 'historic'. Critics of historic districts argue that while these districts may offer an aesthetic or visually pleasing benefit, they increase inequality by restricting access to new and affordable housing for lower and middle class tenants and potential home owners.[11]

  1. ^ "New York City Designation Process". Historic Districts Council. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ)". Los Angeles Conservency. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  3. ^ "City of Oklahoma City | Historic Preservation". Archived from the original on 2010-08-31. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  4. ^ "Welcome to the City of Dallas, Texas - Sustainable Development and Construction". Archived from the original on 2010-09-18. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  5. ^ "Historic District Commissions - City of Boston". cityofboston.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-07-26.
  6. ^ Caves, R. W. (2004). Encyclopedia of the City. Routledge. p. 343.
  7. ^ a b c Millsap, Adam. "Cities Should Think Twice About Expanding Historic Districts". Forbes. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  8. ^ a b Washington, Emily (23 December 2015). "Historic Preservation and Its Costs". www.city-journal.org. City-Journal. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  9. ^ Andersen, Michael (23 December 2015). "BOGUS "HISTORIC" DISTRICTS: THE NEW EXCLUSIONARY ZONING?". www.sightline.org. Sightline. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  10. ^ Freishtat, Sarah. "Are landmark districts linked to affordable housing and segregation? A Chicago lawsuit makes the connection, but a historic preservationist disputes it". www.msn.com. MSN. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  11. ^ Grabar, Henry (12 April 2021). ""Good Design" Is Making Bad Cities, but It Doesn't Have To". slate.com. SLATE. Retrieved 16 February 2022.

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