ABSTRACT
Maintaining an existing urban design is beyond the objectives of historic preservation as usually defined and requires a different kind of preservation: adhering to principles of the original design, even if the kinds of buildings have changed. These principles can be translated into objective criteria like height limits, setbacks, and build-to lines, which can be incorporated in a zoning district or used as criteria for design review as they have been in Cleveland in preserving the central civic space. People know when they like a place and are receptive to explanations of how to keep a place likable. Sometimes, the explanation can be as simple as it was for Kansas City's Plaza District. The district was designed according to a clear concept of street level retail in small buildings, and their low height was the most significant element, even more than the “Spanish” style that characterized the earlier buildings. Keeping the shopping district in its original low-rise configuration was the critical urban design consideration.
