Preservation is building a path to the future

As more than 1,200 preservationists arrived in Houston last month to convene our 70th annual National Preservation Conference, we were — like millions of people across the country — still thinking about recent events, and wondering how our work could help us all move forward after a challenging election season. We soon discovered that we were in an ideal setting for these conversations: Houston has a lot to teach us about the future of this country, and about how historic preservation is helping to shape the kind of communities that many of us want to call home.

The conference’s opening plenary was held in Jones Hall, a mid-century marvel, which is itself testament to the preservation spirit in Houston. Stephen Klineberg, of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, walked attendees through a fascinating look at the demographic trends that have shaped present-day Houston and that will, ultimately, reshape much of the nation as a whole. “Houston is the single most ethnically diverse major metropolitan area in the country,” he noted. “This is where the American future is going to be worked out.”

At the National Trust, we have been researching the factors driving an urban resurgence in Houston and across the country. As Klineberg also pointed out, younger people are gravitating toward jobs that allow them to live and work in places that they choose. And millions of people are choosing to live and work in historic, character-rich neighborhoods with a unique sense of place — areas that feel like someplace.

Increasingly, older buildings are providing the character and distinctiveness that attract visitors, residents, innovative companies and good-paying jobs. That is why preservation is now recognized as one of our most powerful tools for revitalization and has become a central part of discussions involving planning, zoning policy, economic development and municipal growth. You can see this reflected in the recent adoption of Plan Houston, a comprehensive plan for the city’s future that incorporates historic preservation as a key tool.

We were also impressed by recent steps the city has taken to bolster protections in its historic areas. While the city has long had designated historic districts, the initial preservation ordinances lacked teeth. But thanks to the leadership of former Mayors Bill White and Annise Parker, current Mayor Sylvester Turner, and many others, historic protections have been strengthened. As a result, properties and city landmarks in Houston’s twenty-two diverse historic districts are now truly protected from demolition and inappropriate alterations.

Along with touring many of these historic districts, conference attendees ventured out into the streets and surrounding areas — on foot, by bike, by boat and bus — to see the area’s architectural treasures first-hand, and to understand better how Houstonians are working to preserve them. Tours included the innovative way Union Station was incorporated into Minute Maid Park, the transformation of downtown’s once derelict Market Square Historic District — now a thriving center of residential and entertainment venues — and a candlelight tour of homes in Old Braeswood.

Many of these projects were completed through the use of local, federal and state historic tax credits, which are a powerful tool to bring historic buildings back to life. They have supported the stunning renovation of the former Texaco Headquarters building and helped to breathe new life into downtown hotels, including the Texas State Hotel.

In fact, Texas recently put in place a firstof-its-kind state historic tax credit program that is drawing significant developer interest from around the country. The State Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act proposes important reforms that will create good, locally-sourced jobs and enable more communities to rehabilitate their historic buildings. After only one year, Texas saw federal historic tax credit applications triple. As a result, according to our research, Houston is now one of the leading cities in the nation for these types of renovation projects.

One of preservation’s founding mothers, Jane Jacobs, once said, “Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them.” As preservationists explored Houston, they saw a city that is proudly embracing this vision, and is showing all of America, through our collective past, a promising path to the future.