Monday, April 27, 2015

It's More Than Dollars and Cents

http://blog.preservationleadershipforum.org/2015/04/16/old-places-economics/#.VTWHsZTF84S



Downtown Athens, Georgia
indigoathens.com
Hello Everyone:

Today we are revisiting a favorite topic on this blog, "Why Do Old Places Matter?"  Tom Mayes, the author of this series, has presented a series of enlightening posts about why we should care about old places, as if we needed any more reasons.  Today, this last post of the series, Mr. Mayes shares with us old places matter because of economics.  He writes, "Old places support a sound, sustainable and vibrant economy."  This statement is not a new idea for this blog.  Mr. Mayes's reasons for saving economics for last is , "...the other fundamental reasons for keeping, using, reusing and preserving old places are given short shrift, and professional preservationists often jump right to the argument that saving old places is economically beneficial, assuming that the economic argument the only one decisions-makers will want to hear."  Truthfully, using economics as a starting point for arguing why old places matter immediately puts the decision-makers on the defensive, as if that is the only reason.  As Mr. Mayes writes, "...if old places are only worth keeping for economic reasons or they can justify themselves economically.  And often the economic justification is assessed by narrow and limited economic measurements that don't fully take the broader economic-and other-values of old places into account." (Licciardi and Amirtahmasebi, eds; 2012)

Werne's Row 4th and Hill
Louisville, Kentucky
en.wikipedia.org
Before we plunge into a discussion on the economics of old places, let us review why old places are so beneficial to people.  Old places are beautiful and awe-inspiring.  They give us a sense of identity, continuity, and belonging. They are a living document of our history, ancestry, and learning.  Old places "foster healthy, sustainable communities."  Not all of these "non-use values" can be measured by any economic index, despite people's best efforts to do so.  Retaining old places is a good thing for the above stated reasons, even if old places cannot fully pay from themselves or if they require public funding and support.  The good news is that growing interest to measure and consider "non-use values," the phrase used by economists use for not easily quantifiable values.

Tudor Revival house
Buffalo, New York
buffaloah.com
Randall Mason, chair of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, authored a study on preservation and economics for the Brookings Institutions in 2005.  In the report, Mr. Mason wrote,

  Historic preservation is organized primarily to sustain and create cultural values, like historical associations, sense of place, cultural symbolism, the aesthetic and artistic qualities of architecture and the like.  Studying the economics of this (or any other part of the cultural sector) amounts to calculating the incalculable, or pricing the priceless.  Economic analyses con easily determine partial or proxy values for the full value historic preservation, but what do these tell us?  Are they sufficient or even useful?(http://www.brookings.edu/research/report/2005/009/metropolitanpolicy-mason; Accessed by Tom Mayes Mar. 29, 2015)

This statement is an indication of just how commercialized American society has become, that we must justify saving old places that give a sense of identity and belonging by demonstrating its economic value.

Historic King Street location
Charleston, South Carolina
tripadvisor.com
However, we must justify old places.  Blogger agrees with Tom Mayes when he says, "...I don't think we should lead with economic rationales, we still to have them in the toolbox for those who won't accept the others reasons that old places are beneficial."  Donovan Rypkema, real estate consultant and principal of PlaceEconomics puts it,

The good news is historic preservation is good for the economy.  In the last 15 years dozens of studies have been conducted throughout the United States, by different analysts, using different methodologies.  But the results of those studies are remarkably consistent-historic preservation is good for local economy.  From this large and growing body of research, the positive impact of historic preservation has documented in six broad areas: 1) jobs, 2) property values, 3) heritage tourism, 4) environmental impact 5) social impact, and 6) downtown revitalization (Cheong and Rypkema, 2011)

Historic re-enactment
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
historicphiladelphia.org
The National Trust for Historic Preservation website lists twelve reasons why preservation is a good thing. However, Mr. Mayes reviews six of the key reasons why keeping and reusing old places is great for this economy.

  1. Jobs, income, state and local taxes.  Rehabilitation of older buildings produces higher-paying jobs than new construction and the money tends to stay in the local economy.  Because rehabilitation of historic buildings generally requires a higher skill set, wages produced with rehabilitation generally higher, and remain in the local economy more.  As the FY 2012 annual report report on the economic impact of the rehabilitation tax credit states: "Numerous studies conducted by Rutgers University have shown that in many parts of the country, a $1 million investment in historic rehabilitation yields markedly better effects on employment, income, GSP, and state and local taxes than an equal investment in new construction of many other economic activities (e.g. manufacturing or services). (ntcic.webfactional.com/rutgers/ Accessed Apr. 5, 2015)
  2. Heritage Tourism.  Whether people go to old places to experience the awe of the sacred or transcendental beauty, for incomparable opportunities to learn, to spur their imaginations or
    Three Arts Club
    Chicago, Illinois
    chicagoarchitecture.org
    simply to experience a place that has maintained a sense of distinctiveness, old places are destinations for tourism, and have been so for millennia.  The economics benefits of heritage tourism are unparalleled.  As Donovan Rypkema has said, "Wherever heritage tourism has been evaluated, this basic tendency is observed: heritage visitors stay longer, spend more per day, and, therefore, have a significantly greater per trip economic impact."
    (Rypkema, Keynote Address, May 5, 2007)  The World Bank report, The Economics of Uniqueness, emphasizes that heritage tourism is an important economic development strategy, particularly because "tourism development...requires less capital, infrastructure and skilled labor."  (Licciardi and Amirtahmasebi, Eds. 183, 2012)  And there's the sustainable benefit-for everyone-of saving a community's sense of history, distinctiveness and identity.
  3. Revitalization.  For decades. older communities have used their historic buildings and streetscapes as assets for revitalization, providing a greater diversity of income and cultural background in neighborhoods, increasing property values, increasing job opportunities. (See
    Jane Jacobs was right.
    nypl.org
    Donovan Rypkema's discussion in The Economics of Uniqueness, 125-38).  As the website for the Main Street program says, "the cumulative success...of the Main Street program on the local level has earned a reputation as one of the most powerful revitalization tools in the nation." (http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/about-main-street/reinvestment-statistics-1.html#.VSGWPoIh6sE; Accessed Apr. 5, 2015
  4. Attracting talent and investment. According to the World Bank report The Economics of Uniqueness, "[heritage-related projects] contribute to urban livability, attracting talent, and providing an enabling environment for job creation."  As Richard Florida and others have emphasized, creative people are the talent that drives the new economy, and creative people are attracted to places that have authenticity.  Businesses located in places that are perceived of as good places to live, with a sense of authenticity, have
    So was Richard Florida
    nyu.edu
    an edge in attracting talent and investment.  Or as the World Bank report puts it: "...heritage is differentiator that attracts talent to cities."
    (The Economics of Uniqueness, xxiii)
  5. Property values.  One of the main purposes cited in preservation statues as a rationale for historic preservation is that it stabilizes and supports property values.  Studies throughout the United States show that historic districts maintain their value during times of real estate devaluation, such as the recent recession and recover more rapidly. (http://placeeconomics.com/resources/publications; Accessed Apr. 8, 2015)
Business incubation.  As the Preservation Green Lab report Older, Smaller, Better recently
Older, Smaller, Better report cover
oldersmallerbetter.org
concluded, older smaller buildings are critical to the incubation of small businesses that are primary job creators in the U.S. economy. (http://www.oldersmallerbetter.org)

This just a brief summary of the economic benefits that older places have to offer, yet as Tom Mayes writes, "...it makes a powerful and forward-looking case for the economic benefits of keeping and reusing old places."  Blogger could fill bookcases with studies and reports that support and provide anecdotal evidence for these conclusions.  When combined with all the other benefits-including hard to economically quantify benefits-the deep need for keeping and retaining old places is a given.

Like Tom Mayes, blogger rejects the idea that everything in life has to be reduced to dollars and cents.  However, let us, for a moment, consider the possibility that these reports could capture full value of the positive affects of older places on people: "...the sense of identity and belonging, the awe of beauty, the creativity and imagination."  Priceless.

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