Historic preservation is economic development
Published 4:00 pm Sunday, May 11, 2025
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By Sarah Aghedo
Special to The Selma Times-Journal
In March, I was delighted to be able to attend a conference on historic preservation sponsored by Main Street Alabama. The keynote speaker was Donovan Rypkema who is the authority on the economics of historic preservation since he first published his book in 1994, listing 100 reasons (backed by research) why historic preservation is economically beneficial.
For a straightforward definition of historic preservation, let’s call it “keeping what you’ve got.” Anyone who has relatives born before 1950 knows what this means. For me, it means I use the kitchen canisters my parents received as a wedding gift in 1961. The same applies to buildings. Continuing to use and to repair existing buildings is essentially historic preservation.
It’s historic preservation that has allowed many towns with a less extensive history than Selma to thrive, and Mr. Rypkema has slide after slide illustrating every demographic lens through which to view the benefits of historic preservation. He has examined the impact of preservation in towns as diverse as San Antonio, St. Augustine, and Buffalo. In each case, where preservation is ongoing, neighborhoods tend to remain more diverse and reflect their cities, and the rental rates go up more slowly in neighborhoods where historic homes are preserved rather than demolished. In fact, in San Antonio, people were more likely to be priced out of the market when new homes were built in place of the historic homes. Thus, preserving historic neighborhoods can help to provide more equitable housing opportunities, even while historic districts tend to increase in value faster than non-historic districts.
The benefits of historic preservation extend to the business districts as well. Historic business districts tend to attract more new businesses and to retain them. As he has said in earlier workshops, “You can’t build new and rent cheap.” Nor is it possible to use the same quality of materials and workmanship as is found in older structures: that character cannot be reproduced today. And this unique character is exactly what people are looking for in an “experience marketplace.” No one pauses to contemplate the intricate facade of a Best Buy or Target store. To quote Mr. Rypkema: “I cannot identify a single example of a sustained success story in downtown revitalization where historic preservation wasn’t a key component.…Not one. Conversely, the examples of very expensive failures in downtown revitalization have nearly all had the destruction of historic buildings as a major element.”
Another way historic preservation is economically beneficial is through the heritage tourism it sustains. Not only do these tourists spend money on the specific heritage tours or sites they come to visit, but they spend in all other categories too: food, lodging, transport, retail, and so on. In fact, Mr. Rypkema’s studies showed, whether it was Norway or Utah, less than ten percent was spent at the actual historic site: the remaining 90 percent or more, was spent in the general economy of the place. This is good for everyone, and it can be a catalyst for economic growth apart from the actual heritage site or tour.
Thus, keeping the unique culture of a place through the preservation of its historic structures is beneficial for everyone, whether you are living in, working in, or visiting an historic district.
Sarah Aghedo is the executive director of the Selma Redevelopment Authority. She is writing a series of stories highlighting Preservation Month. To contact her, please call 334-407-9313 or email her at info@selmara.org. For more information, log on to www.selmara.org.
