Sharing the Vision: Best Practices to Preserve Our Future
by National Trust for Historic Preservation on November 20th, 2007(Editor’s Note: the Cleveland Restoration Society is a member of the State and Local Partners program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.)
Northeast Ohio is rich in historic assets. Like many American cities that thrived during the industrial revolution, Cleveland and its surrounding region built a remarkable architectural landscape on the foundation of businesses and factories that at one time drove the regional economy. This architectural and cultural heritage now needs our help, and the time is right for change. According to the Brookings Institution, despite the hardships that have plagued them, “the moment – demographic, economic, environmental, social – is ripe for revival” in our older, industrial cities. The Cleveland Restoration Society agrees.
Today, Tuesday, November 20, 2007, the Society held its 35th Annual Community Luncheon to share its vision of a vibrant Northeast Ohio and to start the process of envisioning the ways in which historic preservation can make this a reality. A panel of experts in real estate, tax credits, and architecture shared their best practices, experiences and recommendations for strengthening our commercial districts and neighborhoods emphasizing the use of historic preservation to create a sustainable region and a brighter future.
We’ve heard from the experts – now it’s your turn. How can we recreate the vibrant urban centers that once thrived in older industrial cities?
– Erin Dorsey, Cleveland Restoration Society
Support the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Donate now.
December 2nd, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Simple:
Study the centers that work already (Tremont, Little Italy, Coventry, Chagrin Falls + what’s going on in other cities), then copy.
The critical resource is vibrant, creative people. Figure out what they want (or just read Richard Florida–he’s got this all down to a science) and offer it to them. It’s not rocket science: a lot of this stuff our grand parents knew intuitively. We just have to relearn it.
Make the city feel like a real city: an alive, fearless, fun public realm. A place anybody would be proud to be a part of. They’ll come.
December 21st, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Simple 2:
Use your combined federal and local clout to make agencies with short-sighted vision, SEE that communities thrive with protected historic structures that generate private investment in the community. It is a self-sustaining, energy-efficient way to “build” community.