Event

April LAI Luncheon

HOW NEIGHBORHOOD AND BUILDING CHARACTER INFLUENCE URBAN VITALITY

What role do older, modestly-sized buildings play in making San Francisco a thriving city? The National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preservation Green Lab recently completed a major research project in San Francisco and two other cities that systematically assessed and compared the relative social, economic, and cultural performance of neighborhoods comprised of a fine-grained mix of new and old buildings with those that are predominantly comprised of large, new buildings. Using mapping technology and spatial regression modeling, the Older, Smaller, Better research identified neighborhoods and streets where communities' older built fabric is boosting the strength and vitality of the city, as well as places where targeted investment and attention to the older fabric could spark revitalization. This research is one of several current initiatives of the Preservation Green Lab, a research and development team within the National Trust for Historic Preservation, that is pioneering ways to make it easier for the public and private sectors to invest in and sustain older and historic properties.