Historic Districts Council

Continued from Donova Rypkema's "Sustainability, Smart Growth and Historic=20 Preservation"

Thank you. I am most pleased to have been = invited back=20 to the annual conference of the Historic Districts Council. = I think=20 it was at the first of these conferences that I was invited = to=20 speak. And I remember two things: 1) it was a miserable wet = snowy=20 day in New York, and 2) Ruth Messinger sat in the front row = and did=20 the Times crossword puzzle =E2=80=93 and it was the Saturday = paper so it=20 couldn=E2=80=99t have been easy.

I really do have the best job in America. = Every year I=20 get to visit a hundred or so towns and cities of every size = in every=20 part of the country. And that part is good, but this part is = even=20 better. I get to go in, pretend that I know what I=E2=80=99m = talking about,=20 and I leave. No follow-through, no implementation, no=20 responsibility. None of you has that great of a job.

But some weeks are better than others. And = this is a=20 great one. I started this week in La Mars, Iowa, (population = 9,237)=20 and from there I went on a 5 towns in 3 days tour of Iowa = which=20 included Story City (population 3,141), Marshalltown = (population=20 27,000), Waverly (population 9,298), and West Union = (population=20 2,485). Yesterday I received emails from both Hillary = Clinton and=20 Rudy Giuliani assuming I was part of their Iowa caucuses = advance=20 team. I spent Thursday in Boston at the Traditional = Buildings=20 conference and came down here yesterday afternoon. Nobody = has a=20 better job than that.

I=E2=80=99m sure many of you are thinking = =E2=80=9CThere=E2=80=99s nothing I=20 have to learn from some tiny town in the middle of = Iowa=E2=80=9D and I can=20 assure you most people in Story City think there=E2=80=99s = nothing to learn=20 from New York City. But you=E2=80=99re both wrong. The size = of the buildings=20 is different, but the nature of the challenges, the reasons = given to=20 raze rather than restore, and most importantly the necessity = of a=20 passionate commitment of citizens to save the most important = of=20 their own built environment is no different. That is the = same in=20 West Union as in the West Village. And that, in fact, is one = of the=20 most wonderful things about the historic preservation = movement.

I also want to point out before I begin that = this=20 session is scheduled to last for an hour and a half. I only = know of=20 two people who could talk that long =E2=80=93 Fidel Castro, = and Bill Clinton=20 at the 1986 Democratic convention. I just telling you, I = ain=E2=80=99t=20 talking for no 90 minutes. Hopefully there will be plenty of = time=20 for questions, comments, alternative views, or =E2=80=9Cgo = back to Iowa you=20 fool=E2=80=9D. And if not, I=E2=80=99m sure we are not more = than 27 feet from a=20 Starbucks somewhere.

There was a Broadway producer who once told = an=20 aspiring playwright, =E2=80=9CIf you can=E2=80=99t write = your idea on the back of my=20 business card, you don=E2=80=99t have a clear = idea.=E2=80=9D

So I=E2=80=99m going to begin by giving you = this entire=20 presentation at a length you can put on the back of your = business=20 card.

1. Sustainable development is crucial for = economic=20 competitiveness.
2. Sustainable development has more = elements=20 than just environmental responsibility
3. = =E2=80=9CGreen buildings=E2=80=9D and=20 sustainable development are not synonyms.
4. Historic=20 preservation is, in and of itself, sustainable = development.
5.=20 Development without a historic preservation component is = not=20 sustainable.

So that=E2=80=99s my presentation =E2=80=93 = everything I say now is=20 just fill.

I=E2=80=99m very fortunate that much of my = work in the last=20 few years has been international. And what I=E2=80=99ve = discovered is this:=20 much of the world has begun to recognize the = interrelationship and=20 the interdependency between sustainable development and = heritage=20 conservation.

Much of the world, but much less so in the = United=20 States. I=E2=80=99m not so sure we=E2=80=99ve really learned = those lessons in=20 America, or at least we have not yet broadly connected the = dots. Far=20 too many advocates in the US far too narrowly define what=20 constitutes sustainable development. Far too many advocates = in the=20 US think that so-called green buildings and sustainable = development=20 are one in the same. They are not. And I=E2=80=99ll come = back to that=20 shortly.

But let me give you an example of what I = mean.

A while ago in Boulder, Colorado, a = homeowner in a=20 local historic district made an application to paint the = window=20 sashes and trim on his house and approval was given that = day. Two=20 weeks later the Landmarks Commission learned that the = historic=20 windows had all been removed =E2=80=93 a clear violation of = the local=20 ordinance =E2=80=93 and had been replaced with new windows. = This was done,=20 by the way, by contractor who claims to specialize in = =E2=80=9Cecologically=20 sound materials and methods=E2=80=9D and bills himself as = =E2=80=9CBoulder=E2=80=99s=20 greenest contractor.=E2=80=9D

The Landmarks Commission staff sent a letter = directing=20 that the original windows be retained and their condition=20 documented. The contractor responded by saying that the = greater=20 energy efficiency of the new windows should outweigh the = regulations=20 that apply to houses within the historic district. A = subsequent=20 Commission hearing upheld the staff position and a City = Council=20 hearing supported the Commission=E2=80=99s ruling.

Here=E2=80=99s the next chapter =E2=80=93 a = reporter for a local=20 alternative newspaper talked to the property owner, and then = decided=20 to take matters into his own hands. He went to the house, = picked up=20 all the historic windows, took a sledge hammer to them, then = took=20 them to the dump and arranged to have a bulldozer run over = them.=20 Sort of civil disobedience for an 11 year old=E2=80=99s = mentality.

Now I want to stop the story for just a = minute. I=E2=80=99m=20 not even so sure that the Landmark Commission=E2=80=99s = decision was the=20 right one. But I=E2=80=99m telling you the story to = demonstrate our=20 ignorance about what sustainable development really is.

First from an environmental perspective:

1. The vast majority of heat = loss in=20 homes is through the attic or uninsulated walls, not = windows.
2.=20 Adding just 3 1/2 inches of cheap fiberglass insulation in = the attic=20 has three times the R factor impact as moving from the least = energy=20 efficient single pane window with no storm window to the = most energy=20 efficient window.
3. Properly repaired historic windows = have an=20 R factor nearly indistinguishable from new, so-called, = =E2=80=9Cweatherized=E2=80=9D=20 windows.
4. Regardless of the manufacturers=E2=80=99 = claims about 20 and=20 30 year lives, thirty percent of the windows being replaced = each=20 year are less than 10 years old, and many only two years = old.
5.=20 One Indiana study showed that the payback period through = energy=20 savings by replacing historic wood windows is 400 = years.
6. The=20 Boulder house was built over a hundred years ago, meaning = that those=20 windows were built from hardwood timber from old growth = forests.=20 Environmentalists go nuts about cutting trees in old growth = forests,=20 but what=E2=80=99s the difference? Destroying those windows = represents the=20 destruction of the same scarce resource.
7. The diesel = fuel used=20 to power the bulldozer to run over the windows in all = likelihood=20 consumed more fossil fuel that would be saved over the = lifetime of=20 the replacement windows.
8. Finally, the energy consumed = in=20 manufacturing vinyl is 40 times more than in producing wood = for use.=20 And if they were aluminum windows? 126 times more energy = used in=20 manufacture than for wood.

The point that I=E2=80=99m trying to make is = this =E2=80=93=20 sustainable development is about, but it not only about,=20 environmental sustainability. There is far more to = sustainable=20 development than green buildings.

Repairing and rebuilding the historic = wood windows=20 would have meant that the dollars were spent locally = instead of at=20 a distant window manufacturing plant. That=E2=80=99s = economic=20 sustainability, also part of sustainable = development.
Maintaining as much of the original = fabric as=20 possible is maintaining the character of the historic=20 neighborhood. That=E2=80=99s cultural sustainability, also = part of=20 sustainable development.

But if we don=E2=80=99t yet get it in the = United States,=20 others do. There=E2=80=99s an international real estate = consulting firm=20 based in Great Britain =E2=80=93 King Sturge =E2=80=93 that = has been at the=20 forefront in broadening and communicating the concept of = sustainable=20 development. Their framework of sustainable development = certainly=20 includes environmental responsibility but also economic=20 responsibility and social responsibility. I=E2=80=99m going = to take the=20 liberty of expanding the third category into social and = cultural=20 responsibility.

They further identify these important nexus: = for a=20 community to be viable there needs to be a link between=20 environmental responsibility and economic responsibility; = for a=20 community to be livable there needs to be a link between=20 environmental responsibility and social responsibility; and = for a=20 community to be equitable there needs to be a link between = economic=20 responsibility and social responsibility.

When we begin to think about sustainable = development=20 in this broader context the entire equation begins to change = =E2=80=93 and=20 includes more than simply, =E2=80=9CDoes this building get a = LEED gold=20 certification=E2=80=9D or =E2=80=9CIs that development = making sure that the habitat=20 of the snail darter isn=E2=80=99t being = compromised?=E2=80=9D

When we begin to think about sustainable = development=20 in this broader context the role of heritage conservation in = sustainable development becomes all the more clear.

Let=E2=80=99s start with the environmental = responsibility=20 component of sustainable development. How does heritage = conservation=20 contribute to that?

Well, we could begin with the simple area of = solid=20 waste disposal. In the United States, almost one ton of = solid waste=20 per person is collected annually. Solid waste disposal is=20 increasingly expensive both in dollars and in environmental=20 impacts.

So let me put this in context for you. You = know we all=20 diligently recycle our Coke cans. It=E2=80=99s a pain in the = neck, but we do=20 it because it=E2=80=99s good for the environment. Here is a = typical building=20 in a North American downtown =E2=80=93 25 feet wide and 100 = or 120 or 140=20 feet deep. Let=E2=80=99s say that today we tear down one = small building like=20 this in your downtown. We have now wiped out the entire=20 environmental benefit from the last 1,344,000 aluminum cans = that=20 were recycled. We=E2=80=99ve not only wasted an historic = building, we=E2=80=99ve=20 wasted months of diligent recycling by the good people of = our=20 community. And that calculation only considers the impact on = the=20 landfill, not any of the other sustainable development = calculations=20 like the next one on my list =E2=80=93 embodied energy.

I have to confess that I hadn=E2=80=99t paid = much attention to=20 the concept of embodied energy, not until I saw oil hitting = $70 a=20 barrel. So I did a bit of research. Embodied energy is = defined as=20 the total expenditure of energy involved in the creation of = the=20 building and its constituent materials. When we throw away = an=20 historic building, we are simultaneously throwing away the = embodied=20 energy incorporated into that building. How significant is = embodied=20 energy? In Australia, they=E2=80=99ve calculated that the = embodied energy in=20 the existing building stock is equivalent to ten years of = the total=20 energy consumption of the entire country.

Much of the =E2=80=9Cgreen building=E2=80=9D = movement focuses on the=20 annual energy use of a building. But the energy embodied in = the=20 construction of a building is 15 to 30 times the annual = energy=20 use.

Razing historic buildings results in a = triple hit on=20 scarce resources. First, we throwing away thousands of = dollars of=20 embodied energy. Second, we are replacing it with materials = vastly=20 more consumptive of energy. What are most historic houses = built=20 from? Brick, plaster, concrete and timber. What are among = the least=20 energy consumptive of materials? Brick, plaster, concrete = and=20 timber. What are major components of new buildings? Plastic, = steel,=20 vinyl and aluminum. What are among the most energy = consumptive of=20 materials? Plastic, steel, vinyl and aluminum. Third, = recurring=20 embodied energy savings increase dramatically as a building = life=20 stretches over fifty years. You=E2=80=99re a fool or a fraud = if you say you=20 are an environmentally conscious builder and yet are = throwing away=20 historic buildings, and their components.

Let me put it a different way =E2=80=93 if = you have a building=20 that lasts 100 years, you could use 25% more energy every = year and=20 still have less lifetime energy use than a building that = lasts 40=20 years. And a whole lot of buildings being built today = won=E2=80=99t last=20 even 40 years.

The EPA has noted that building construction = debris=20 constitutes around a third of all waste generated in this = country,=20 and has projected that over 27% of existing buildings will = be=20 replaced between 2000 and 2030.

So you would think that the EPA would have = two=20 priorities: 1) make every effort to preserve as much of the = existing=20 quality building stock as possible; and 2) build buildings = that have=20 80 and 100 and 120-year lives, as our historic buildings = already=20 have.

Instead what are they doing? They are = sponsoring a=20 contest to design buildings that can be taken apart every = couple of=20 decades and reassembled. Now I=E2=80=99m all for reusing = building materials=20 when structures have to be demolished, but to design = buildings to be=20 taken apart like Legos is to consciously build in planned=20 obsolescence, and planned obsolescence is the polar opposite = of=20 sustainable development. And even if this approach met the=20 environmental responsibility component of sustainable = development =E2=80=93=20 which it does not =E2=80=93 it is the antithesis of the = cultural and=20 economic elements of sustainable development.

And when I=E2=80=99m told that the fast = changing needs of=20 households and businesses cannot be met in historic = buildings, I=20 respond in polite company, =E2=80=9Cnonsense=E2=80=9D and in = less polite company,=20 =E2=80=9Cbullshit.=E2=80=9D Identify for me any use you can = come up with in today=E2=80=99s=20 economy, and I=E2=80=99ll find you an example of that use = being accommodated=20 in a historic building. The functional adaptability of = historic=20 buildings is one of their great under-recognized = attributes.

My technical background is as a real estate = appraiser.=20 And in the appraisal field, there is a concept you all are = familiar=20 with =E2=80=93 functional obsolescence. Functional = obsolescence is when a=20 building or its components no longer meet the utility = demands of the=20 marketplace. Functional obsolescence is real, but for many=20 developers, real estate owners, architects, and city = officials, the=20 response to functional obsolescence is demolition. But the=20 alternative response to functional obsolescence, and the=20 environmentally responsible response, is adaptive reuse. In = real=20 estate language, functional obsolescence represents the loss = of=20 utility, but adaptive reuse is the reinsertion of a new = utility into=20 an existing building.

But be careful when you hear that phrase = functional=20 obsolescence, because it is often mis-assigned. And my = favorite=20 example of that is in New York City. I lived there in the = mid 1980s.=20 And at the time, the conventional wisdom of architects, = developers,=20 and many city officials was that all those class B and C = office=20 buildings in lower Manhattan had to be raised because they = were=20 functionally obsolete. Those 28-year-old investment bankers = on Wall=20 Street, making $600,000 a year ought to be making big = contributions=20 to preservation organization in the city. Why? Because had=20 preservationists not stood up and said, =E2=80=9CLike hell = are you going to=20 tear down all those 1920s office buildings=E2=80=9D those = investment bankers=20 wouldn=E2=80=99t have their $3 million condos in those very = structures.

But I=E2=80=99ve allowed my detour about = functional=20 obsolescence take me away from the EPA so I want to return = there for=20 a moment. Here is this federal agency that is supposed to be = our=20 country=E2=80=99s lead entity for promoting and fostering = sustainable=20 development. Last fall they issued their five-year strategic = plan,=20 complete with goals, objectives, and standards of = measurement =E2=80=93 188=20 fact-filled pages. How many times was the phrase = =E2=80=9Csustainable=20 development=E2=80=9D mentioned? Exactly twice =E2=80=93 both = times in footnotes.=20 Once because a document they were citing had = =E2=80=9Csustainable=20 development=E2=80=9D in its title and the other because the = database they=20 referenced was maintained by the UN=E2=80=99s Division for = Sustainable=20 Development. How can you be the agency taking the lead for=20 sustainable development when =E2=80=9Csustainable = development=E2=80=9D never appears=20 in your strategic plan?

Oh, and by the way, the number of times that = =E2=80=9Chistoric=20 preservation=E2=80=9D was mentioned in the strategic plan? = Zero.

Within the plan, the EPA has an element = targeted to=20 construction and demolition debris. The objective is = =E2=80=9CPreserve Land=E2=80=9D=20 and the sub-objective is =E2=80=9CReduce Waste Generation = and Increase=20 Recycling.=E2=80=9D But they have missed the obvious = =E2=80=93 when you preserve a=20 historic building, you are preserving land. When you = rehabilitate a=20 historic building, you are reducing waste generation. When = you reuse=20 a historic building, you are increasing recycling. In fact, = historic=20 preservation is the ultimate in recycling.

At most perhaps 10% of what the = environmental movement=20 does advances the cause of historic preservation. But 100% = of what=20 the preservation movement does advances the cause of the=20 environment.

You cannot have sustainable development = without a=20 major role of historic preservation, period. And = it=E2=80=99s about time we=20 preservationists start hammering at that until it is broadly = understood.

Earlier I mentioned the concept of embodied = energy.=20 The World Bank has specifically related embodied energy with = historic buildings saying, =E2=80=9C=E2=80=A6the key = economic reason for the=20 cultural patrimony case is that a vast body of valuable = assets, for=20 which sunk costs have already been paid by prior = generations, is=20 available. It is a waste to overlook such = assets.=E2=80=9D

On the commercial side, if we want to begin = to=20 mitigate the endless expanse of strip center sprawl it is = critical=20 that we have effective programs of center city = revitalization.=20 Throughout America over the last decade, we have seen = downtowns come=20 back and reclaim their historic role as the multifunctional, = vibrant, heart of the city. Now this is the area where I do = most of=20 my work. I typically visit 100 downtowns a year of every = size, in=20 every part of the country. But I cannot identify a single = example of=20 a sustained success story in downtown revitalization where = historic=20 preservation wasn=E2=80=99t a key component of that = strategy. Not a one.=20 Conversely, the examples of very expensive failures in = downtown=20 revitalization have nearly all had the destruction of = historic=20 buildings as a major element. That doesn=E2=80=99t mean, I = suppose, that=20 it=E2=80=99s not theoretically possible to have downtown = revitalization and=20 no historic preservation, but I haven=E2=80=99t seen it, I = haven=E2=80=99t read of=20 it, I haven=E2=80=99t heard of it. Now the relative = importance of=20 preservation as part of the downtown revitalization effort = will vary=20 some, depending on the local resources, the age of the city, = the=20 strength of the local preservation advocacy groups, and the=20 enlightenment of the leadership. But successful = revitalization and=20 no historic preservation? It ain=E2=80=99t happening.

The closest thing we have to a broad-based = sustainable=20 development movement is known as Smart Growth. There is no = movement=20 in America today that enjoys a more widespread support = across=20 political, ideological, and geographical boundaries than = does Smart=20 Growth. Democrats support it for environmental reasons, = Republicans=20 for fiscal reasons, big city mayors, rural county = commissioner,=20 there are Smart Growth supporters everywhere. The increasing = public=20 volume and political expenditures of Smart Growth=E2=80=99s = opponents is in=20 direct relationship to Smart Growth=E2=80=99s broad and = growing support.

The Smart Growth movement also has a clear = statement=20 of principles, and here it is:

Create range of housing opportunities = and=20 choices
Create walkable neighborhoods
Encourage community and stakeholder=20 collaboration
Foster distinctive, attractive places = with a Sense=20 of Place
Make development decisions predictable, = fair, and=20 cost effective
Mix land uses
Preserve open space, farmland, natural = beauty and=20 critical environmental areas
Provide variety of transportation = choices
Strengthen and direct development toward = existing=20 communities
Take advantage of compact built=20 design.

But you know what? If a community did = nothing but=20 protect its historic neighborhoods it will have advanced = every Smart=20 Growth principle. Historic preservation IS Smart Growth. A = Smart=20 Growth approach that does not include historic preservation = high on=20 the agenda is not only missing a valuable strategy, but, = like the=20 historic buildings themselves, an irreplaceable one. A Smart = Growth=20 approach that does not include historic preservation high on = the=20 agenda is stupid growth, period.

Historic preservation is vital to = sustainable=20 development, but not just on the level of environmental=20 responsibility. Remember that the second component of the=20 sustainable development equation was economic = responsibility. So let=20 me give you some examples in this area.

A frequently underappreciated component of = historic=20 buildings is their role as natural incubators of small = businesses.=20 It isn=E2=80=99t the Fortune 500 who are creating the net = new jobs in=20 America. 85% of all net new jobs are created by firms = employing less=20 than 20 people. One of the few costs firms of that size can = control=20 is occupancy costs =E2=80=93 rents. In both downtowns but = especially in=20 neighborhood commercial districts a major contribution to = the local=20 economy is the relative affordability of older buildings. It = is no=20 accident that the creative, imaginative, small start up firm = isn=E2=80=99t=20 located in the corporate office =E2=80=9Ccampus=E2=80=9D the = industrial park or the=20 shopping center =E2=80=93 they simply cannot afford the = rents there. Older=20 and historic commercial buildings play that role, nearly = always with=20 no subsidy or assistance of any kind.

Pioneer Square in Seattle is one of the = great historic=20 commercial neighborhoods in America. The business management = association there did a survey of why Pioneer Square = businesses=20 chose that neighborhood. The most common answer? That it was = a=20 historic district. The second most common answer? The cost = of=20 occupancy. Neither of those responses is accidental.

While I=E2=80=99m often introduced as a = preservationist, what=20 I really am is an economic development consultant. At the = top of the=20 list for economic development measurements are jobs created = and=20 increased local household income. The rehabilitation of = older and=20 historic buildings is particularly potent in this regard. As = a rule=20 of thumb, new construction will be half materials and half = labor.=20 Rehabilitation, on the other hand, will be sixty to seventy = percent=20 labor with the balance being materials. This labor intensity = affects=20 a local economy on two levels. First, we buy an HVAC system = from=20 Michigan and lumber from Oregon, but we buy the services of = the=20 plumber, the electrician, and the carpenter from across the = street.=20 Further, once we buy and hang the sheet rock, the sheet rock = doesn=E2=80=99t=20 spend any more money. But the plumber gets a hair cut on the = way=20 home, buys groceries, and joins the YMCA =E2=80=93 each = recirculating that=20 paycheck within the community.

Many people think about economic development = in terms=20 of manufacturing, so let=E2=80=99s look at that. Across = America for every=20 million dollars of production, the average manufacturing = firm=20 creates 23.9 jobs. A million dollars spent in new = construction=20 generates 30.6 jobs. But that same million dollars in the=20 rehabilitation of an historic building? 35.4 jobs.

A million dollars of manufacturing output = will add, on=20 average about $515,000 to local household incomes. A million = dollars=20 in new construction =E2=80=93 $653,000. But a million = dollars of=20 rehabilitation? Over $762,000. Now of course the argument = can be=20 made, =E2=80=9CYeah, but once you=E2=80=99ve built the = building the job creation is=20 done.=E2=80=9D Yes, but there are two responses to that. = First, real estate=20 is a capital asset =E2=80=93 like a drill press or a boxcar. = It has an=20 economic impact during construction, but a subsequent = economic=20 impact when it is in productive use. Additionally, however, = since=20 most building components have a life of between 25 and 40 = years, a=20 community could rehabilitate 2 to 3 percent of its building = stock=20 per year and have perpetual employment in the building = trades.

Now there are some economists and = politicians who=20 would argue that in economic down turns public expenditures = should=20 be made to create employment. And I=E2=80=99m certainly not = going to argue=20 with that. And as you all know, among politicians=E2=80=99 = favorite forms of=20 public works is building highways.

David Listokin at the Center for Urban = Policy Research=20 at Rutgers has calculated the relative impact of public = works. Let=E2=80=99s=20 say a level of government spends $1 million building a = highway. (And=20 these days that means a highway not quite the length of this = room)=20 but anyway a million dollar highway =E2=80=93 what does that = mean? 34 jobs,=20 $1.2 million in ultimate household income, $100,000 in state = taxes=20 and $85,000 in local taxes.
Or we could build a new = building for=20 $1 million. 36 jobs, $1,223,000 in household income, $103, = 000 in=20 state taxes and $86,000 in local taxes. Or we could spend = that=20 million rehabilitating an historic building. 38 jobs, a = million=20 three in household income, $110,000 in state taxes and = $92,000 in=20 local taxes. Now you tell me which is the most economically=20 impacting in public works projects.

Other areas where historic preservation adds = to the=20 economic responsibility of sustainable development include = heritage=20 tourism. Wherever heritage tourism has been evaluated, a = basic=20 tendency is observed: heritage visitors stay longer, spend = more per=20 day and, therefore, have a significantly greater per trip = economic=20 impact.

In February, Business Week had an article = about the=20 importance of artists to a growing local economy. But where = do=20 artists choose to live? It=E2=80=99s isn=E2=80=99t the = garden apartment in the=20 suburbs. More often than not, it=E2=80=99s in historic = neighborhoods.

Perhaps the area of preservation=E2=80=99s = economic impact=20 that=E2=80=99s been studied most frequently is the effect of = local historic=20 districts on property values. It has been looked at by a = number of=20 people and institutions using a variety of methodologies in = historic=20 districts all over the country. The most interesting thing = is the=20 consistency of the findings. Far and away the most common = result is=20 that properties within local historic districts appreciate = at rates=20 greater than the local market overall and faster than = similar=20 non-designated neighborhoods. Of the several dozen of these=20 analyses, the worst-case scenario is that housing in = historic=20 districts appreciates at a rate equivalent to the local = market as a=20 whole.

Recent analysis indicates that historic = districts are=20 also less vulnerable to the volatility that real estate = values are=20 often subject to during interest rate fluctuations and = economic=20 downturns.

Like it or not we live in an economically = globalized=20 world. To be economically sustainable it=E2=80=99s necessary = to be=20 economically competitive. But to be competitive in a = globalized=20 world a community must position itself to compete not just = with=20 other cities in the region but with other cities on the = planet. And=20 a large measure of that competitiveness will be based on the = quality=20 of life the local community provides, and the built heritage = is a=20 major component of the quality of life equation. This is a = lesson=20 that is being recognized worldwide.

A great study just released last month in = Australia=20 reached this series of conclusions: 1) a sustainable city = will have=20 to have a sustainable economy; 2) in the 21st century, a=20 competitive, sustainable economy will require a = concentration of=20 knowledge workers; 3) knowledge workers are choose where = they want=20 to work and live based on the quality of the urban = environment; and=20 4) heritage buildings are an important component of a high = quality=20 urban environment.

From the Inter American Development Bank we = get, "As=20 the international experience has demonstrated, the = protection of=20 cultural heritage is important, especially in the context of = the=20 globalization phenomena, as an instrument to promote = sustainable=20 development strongly based on local traditions and community = resources.=E2=80=9D
Certainly among the most competitive = cities in the=20 world is Singapore. But here=E2=80=99s what Belinda Yuan of = Singapore=20 National University says, =E2=80=9C=E2=80=A6the influences = of globalization have=20 fostered the rise of heritage conservation as a growing need = to=20 preserve the past, both for continued economic growth and = for=20 strengthening national cultural identity.=E2=80=9D

What neither the supporters nor the critics = of=20 globalization understand is that there is not one = globalization but=20 two =E2=80=93 economic globalization and cultural = globalization. For those=20 few who recognize the difference, there is an unchallenged=20 assumption that the second is an unavoidable outgrowth of = the first.=20 Economic globalization has widespread positive impacts; = cultural=20 globalization ultimately diminishes us all. It is through = the=20 adaptive reuse of heritage buildings that a community can = actively=20 participate in the positive benefits of economic = globalization while=20 simultaneously mitigating the negative impacts of cultural=20 globalization.

So there are some ways that heritage = conservation=20 contributes to sustainable development through environmental = responsibility and through economic responsibility. But I = saved the=20 third area =E2=80=93 cultural and social responsibility = =E2=80=93 for last, because=20 in the long run it may well be the most important.

First, housing. In the United States today = we are=20 facing a crisis in housing. All kinds of solutions =E2=80=93 = most of them=20 very expensive =E2=80=93 are being proposed. But the most = obvious is barely=20 on the radar screen =E2=80=93 quit tearing down older and = historic housing.=20 Houses built before 1950 disproportionately are home to = people of=20 modest resources =E2=80=93 the vast majority without any = subsidy or public=20 intervention of any kind. So you take these two facts = =E2=80=93 there is an=20 affordable housing crisis and older housing is providing = affordable=20 housing and one would think, =E2=80=9CWell, then, a high = priority must be=20 saving that housing stock.=E2=80=9D Alas, not so.

In the last three decades of the 20th = century, we lost=20 from our national inventory of older and historic homes 6.3 = million=20 year-round housing units! Over 80 percent of those units = were=20 single-family residences. Now a few of those burned down or = were=20 lost to natural disasters. But the vast majority of them = were=20 consciously torn down =E2=80=93 were thrown away as being = valueless. And=20 today millions of American families are paying the cost by = paying=20 for housing they cannot afford. Certainly not every one of = those=20 houses could or should have been saved. But if even half = were=20 retained instead of razed, the picture today would be much = different=20 for the millions of Americans inadequately or unaffordably=20 housed.

For the last thirty years, every day, seven = days a=20 week, 52 weeks a year we have lost 577 older and historic = houses.=20 For our most historic houses =E2=80=93 those built before = 1920 =E2=80=93 in just the=20 decade of the 1990s, 772,000 housing units were lost from = our built=20 national heritage.

But when there are policies to conserve = older housing=20 stock, we are meeting the social responsibility of = sustainable=20 development.

But at least as important as the = affordability issue=20 is the issue of economic integration. America is a very = diverse=20 country =E2=80=93 racially, ethnically, educationally, = economically. But on=20 the neighborhood level, our neighborhoods are not diverse at = all.=20 The vast majority of neighborhoods are all white or all = black, all=20 rich or all poor. But the exception =E2=80=93 virtually = everywhere I=E2=80=99ve=20 looked in America =E2=80=93 is in historic districts. There = rich and poor,=20 Asian and Hispanic, college educated and high school drop = out, live=20 in immediate proximity, are neighbors in the truest sense of = the=20 work. That is economic integration and sustainable cities = are going=20 to need it.

Earlier I mentioned the labor intensity of = historic=20 preservation and the jobs it creates as part of the economic = component of sustainable development but I want to mention = it again=20 in the social context. Those aren=E2=80=99t just jobs. They = are good,=20 well-paying jobs, particularly for those without formal = advanced=20 education. That too should be part of our social = responsibility=20 within sustainable development.

I told you that I work in the area of = economic=20 development. Economic development takes many forms =E2=80=93 = industrial=20 recruitment, job retraining, waterfront development, and = others. But=20 historic preservation and downtown revitalization are the = only forms=20 of economic development that are simultaneously community=20 development. That too is part of our social responsibility. =

So I want to return to the premise with = which I=20 started. Green buildings are part of, but in no way are a = synonym=20 for sustainable development. That is not to say that we = should not=20 all be very pleased that preservationists are beginning to = try to=20 enlighten the green building people. Preceding the National = Trust=20 conference in Pittsburgh last fall was held a National = Summit on the=20 greening of historic properties. This was an excellent step = forward=20 and I certainly don=E2=80=99t have any quarrel with any of = their conclusions=20 or recommendations. I am certainly not wedded to the = Secretary of=20 the Interiors Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic=20 Buildings. And if the Secretary=E2=80=99s Standards have to = be adjusted to=20 be more environmentally sensitive, so be it.

But I am very concerned that in our rush to = make nice=20 with the green building people we will forget this is about=20 sustainable development, not about green buildings. = Here=E2=80=99s this=20 great report. Green buildings mentioned 53 times; = sustainable=20 development mentioned exactly zero times.

Of course, the big accomplishment of the = U.S. Green=20 Building Council is the development of the LEED = certification=20 system. In the pilot stage is a checklist for evaluating=20 neighborhood development. And it=E2=80=99s fine. 114 total = possible points,=20 including up to a gigantic 2 points if it=E2=80=99s an = historic building.=20 But if you look at the individual line items in the = checklist, at=20 least 75% of the goals of those items are automatically met = if you=20 rehabilitate an historic building. If we really need such a=20 checklist, it ought to be 200 points and you start out with = 75=20 points for being an historic building.

I=E2=80=99m not sure we need platinum = plaques on pilasters.=20 But if we do, they should be for sustainable development, = not for=20 green buildings. And, in fact, just such a checklist has = been=20 devised in Great Britain. Using the three elements of = sustainable=20 development, this scoring system includes such elements as=20 =E2=80=9Cfunctional adaptability=E2=80=9D, cultural = importance, cultural=20 adaptability, lovability, local amenities, and embodied = energy as=20 well as energy consumption, ecological attributes, etc. This = certainly includes green building attributes, but within a = broader=20 sustainable development context.

Environmentalists cheer when used tires are=20 incorporated into asphalt shingles and recycled newspapers = become=20 part of fiberboard. But when we reuse an historic building, = we=E2=80=99re=20 recycling the whole thing.

If I still haven=E2=80=99t convinced you = that the green=20 building approach is insufficient, let me offer this last = bit of=20 evidence. As you all probably know, Wal-Mart has begun a big = environmental initiative. Now I=E2=80=99m not a Wal-Mart = basher, and I think=20 they should be commended for this activity.

But let=E2=80=99s say Wal-Mart is so = successful, that they are=20 able to build a Super Center that uses no external energy at = all =E2=80=93=20 the ultimate green building. But here=E2=80=99s where the = building is going=20 to be built.

In just 15 days, the extra fuel used to get = to the=20 Wal-Mart, wipes out the entire savings for the entire year, = even if=20 the building itself consumed no energy at all. A huge = success as a=20 green building. A huge failure in sustainable development. = And in=20 the case of Wal-Mart, in all three categories of sustainable = development responsibility.

Finally, I=E2=80=99d ask you to take a = moment and think of=20 something significant to you personally. Anything. You may = think of=20 your children, or your spouse, or your church, or god, or a = favorite=20 piece of art hanging in your living room, or your childhood = home, or=20 a personal accomplishment of some type. Now take away your = memory.=20 Which of those things are now significant to you? None of = them.=20 There can be no significance without memory. Now those same = things=20 may still be significant to someone else. But without memory = they=20 are not significant to you. And if memory is necessary for=20 significance, it is also necessary for both meaning and = value.=20 Without memory nothing has significance, nothing has = meaning,=20 nothing has value.

That, I think, is the lesson of that old Zen = koan, =E2=80=9CIf=20 a tree falls in a forest and no one hears, did it make a = sound?=E2=80=9D=20 Well of course it made a sound; sound comes from the = vibration of=20 molecules and a falling tree vibrates molecules. But that = sound=20 might as well not have been made, because there is no memory = of it.=20
We acquire memories from a sound or a picture, or from a = conversation, or from words in a book, or from the stories = our=20 grandmother told us. But how is the memory of a city = conveyed?=20 Here=E2=80=99s what Italo Calvino writes, "The city ... does = not tell its=20 past, but contains it like the lines of a hand, written in = the=20 corners of the streets, the gratings of the windows, the = banisters=20 of the steps, the antennae of the lightening rods, the poles = of the=20 flags, every segment marked in turn with scratches, = indentations,=20 scrolls."

The city tells it own past, transfers its = own memory,=20 largely through the fabric of the built environment. = Historic=20 buildings are the physical manifestation of memory =E2=80=93 = and it is=20 memory that makes places significant.
What is the whole = purpose=20 of the concept of sustainable development? It is to keep = that which=20 is important, which is valuable, which is significant. The = very=20 definition of sustainable development is = =E2=80=9C=E2=80=A6the ability to meet our=20 own needs without prejudicing the ability of future = generations to=20 meet their own needs.=E2=80=9D We need to use our cities, = our cultural=20 resources, and our memories in such a way that they are = available=20 for future generations to use as well.

Historic preservation makes cities viable, = makes=20 cities livable, makes cities equitable. I particularly = appreciate=20 that the broadened concept of sustainable development is = made up of=20 responsibilities =E2=80=93 environmental responsibility, = economic=20 responsibility, and social responsibility.

Two thousand six, of course, was an election = year. And=20 every side in every race was supported by dozens of advocacy = movements. And most of them are =E2=80=9Crights=E2=80=9D = movements: animal rights,=20 abortion rights, right to life, right to die, states rights, = gun=20 rights, gay rights, property rights, = women=E2=80=99s=E2=80=99 rights, and on and on=20 and on. And I=E2=80=99m for all of those things =E2=80=93 = rights are good. But I=20 would suggest to you that any claim for rights that is not = balanced=20 with responsibilities removes the civility from = civilization, and=20 gives us an entitlement mentality as a nation of mere = consumers of=20 public services rather than a nation of citizens. A consumer = has=20 rights; a citizen has responsibilities that accompany those = rights.=20 Historic preservation is a responsibility movement rather = than=20 rights movement. It is a movement that urges us toward the=20 responsibility of stewardship, not merely the right of = ownership.=20 Stewardship of our historic built environment, certainly; = but=20 stewardship of the meaning and memory of our communities = manifested=20 in those buildings as well.=20

While we can each take actions in our = neighborhood to=20 address environmental responsibility, the major issues = =E2=80=93 global=20 warming, clean air and water, alternative energy sources = =E2=80=93 have to=20 be addressed on a regional, or national or international = level.

We can have a nominal impact on economic = development=20 at the neighborhood level, but the vast majority of = variables that=20 affect the economy are beyond local influence.

But the social/cultural components of = sustainable=20 development can be addressed at the neighborhood = level=E2=80=A6in fact that=20 is the most effective scale for those issues to be = addressed. That's=20 why neighborhood level historic preservation advocacy is so=20 important. You ARE the sustainable development movement in = your=20 community. The EPA, the Green Building Council and far too = many=20 environmental activists just haven't figured that out=20 yet.
Sustainability means stewardship. There can be no=20 sustainable development without a central role for historic=20 preservation. That=E2=80=99s what you all are doing today, = and future=20 generations will thank you for it tomorrow.

Thank you very much.
=C2=A9 Donovan D.=20 Rypkema, 2006

	The Advocate for New York City's Historic = Neighborhoods=20 232 East 11th Street New York NY 10003 tel:=20 212-614-9107 fax: 212-614-9127 e-mail: hdc@hdc.org =C2=A9Historic = Districts Council=20 2007=20

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