Fit to Print: Economic Crisis, Recovery and Preservation

Because the news is all about the our economic crisis and recovery - I thought I'd round up a few things I'd read recently on the subject that pertain to historic preservation and good planning.

"All Boarded Up" - NY Times article about Cleveland's foreclosure and mortgage crises that is a must read. If Cleveland is the future for many of our smaller cities, then we're in for it. Among the implications are a large number of demolitions, vacancies and vandalized houses, and plummeting property values. More difficult still are the incredibly tangled webs spun by governments, banks, flippers, and owners.

For something uplifting after that, hit up Patrice's piece at Preservation Nation, "Dispatch from Dubuque: Luring People Back to the Heartland", where she posits a contrasting vision for a sustainable future in America's small cities.

Wondering what's in the Stimulus Bill that relates to Historic Preservation? Me too. While the most explicit line items to fund preservation were cut, there are provisions for weatherization and energy efficiency, neighborhood stabilization, and affordable housing which could all apply to historic preservation if the groups getting the cash infusion think creatively. There is a lot of potential, but there's also a lot of tension brewing with pressure building on historic resouces. A good place to begin is the National Trust for Historic Preservation offers Stimulus 101 for some basics, or visit the Trust's The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act page for other info. See also their "Perfect Storm" page for more on the tension between "shovel-ready projects" and preservation priorities.