Preserving Neighborhoods: How Urban Policy and Community Strategy Shape Baltimore and Brooklyn

Historic preservation is often seen as an elitist practice that leads to gentrification and displacement, but Aaron Passell's book Preserving Neighborhoods challenges this narrative by exploring how community activists and local governments use historic preservation to control neighborhood change. The book features case studies of Baltimore and Brooklyn and argues that historic preservation can be a tool for community building and bottom-up revitalization.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 19 January 2021
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Historic preservation is often perceived as an exclusive practice, where the designation of a neighborhood as historic is driven by affluent residents who prioritize aesthetics over affordability. This approach leads to gentrification, as property values increase for wealthy homeowners, while displacement affects longer-term, lower-income residents, often people of color.

Aaron Passell's book, "Preserving Neighborhoods," challenges this narrative by examining how community activists and local governments utilize historic preservation as a tool to accelerate or slow down neighborhood change. Through rich case studies of Baltimore and Brooklyn, Passell explores how this form of regulation can empower communities to exert some control over the evolving built environments of their neighborhoods.

In Baltimore, historic preservation is part of a top-down strategy aimed at channeling investment into historic neighborhoods that often face vacancy and abandonment. In central Brooklyn, neighborhood groups have discovered the value of landmark district designation as they seek to mitigate rapid change using legal tools available to them.

The contrast between Baltimore and Brooklyn highlights that the relationship between historic preservation and neighborhood change varies not only between cities but also within neighborhoods. Passell's interviews with local activists reveal that historic district designation and enforcement efforts can be instrumental in fostering neighborhood community building and promoting bottom-up revitalization.

"Preserving Neighborhoods" is a nuanced mixed-methods study that provides a comprehensive analysis of an important local-level urban policy and its diverse consequences. The book combines compelling narrative interviews with quantitative data to shed light on the complex dynamics at play in the preservation and transformation of neighborhoods.

By examining the ways in which historic preservation shapes urban landscapes, Passell offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by communities as they navigate the forces of change. His book is a must-read for policymakers, community organizers, and anyone interested in understanding the complex relationship between heritage, urban development, and social equity.

Weight: 330g
Dimension: 139 x 215 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231194075