Including Preservation in Planning

Abstract

Problem, research strategy, and findings: The intersection of historic preservation and urban planning has advanced over the years. Revitalization has been a central theme for this intersection, but the literature has not yet analyzed how a comprehensive plan—a crucial planning tool for growth and development—has included preservation. In this study, I investigate how the city of Portland (OR) integrated historic preservation into its comprehensive plan, focusing on the 1993 Albina Community Plan. Portland developed a comprehensive plan considering several scales, resulting in an array of documents released over the years. Through a neo-institutional analysis, I look at these documents to understand 1) the underlying institutions—such as compliance procedures, formal rules, and operating practices—that frame preservation policies within a comprehensive plan and 2) the approach to preservation implied in these policies. The findings show how including preservation into planning is structured by different levels of government, developed through an array of documents covering different scales, and is part of an effort to enhance the vitality of neighborhoods. Overall, preservation is framed as a way of managing community assets, bringing attention to the history of the local community, its people, and its built and natural environments. However, historic districts, which are the major preservation efforts emerging from the plan, lack the strengths of both a comprehensive approach to planning and an urbanistic approach to preservation. Takeaway for practice: My analysis shows the relevance of studying a comprehensive plan to understand how planning included preservation: It highlights the connection with preservation theories, the value of document analysis, and the importance of scale. In particular, a neo-institutional analysis reveals the mechanisms shaping policies. By examining these mechanisms in their own cities, planners and preservationists could better understand the work of previous administrations, contextualize the current situation, and recognize the elements to act upon for promoting systematic change.