REGENERATIVE CONSERVATION:CENTERING PRESERVATION PHILOSOPHY WITHINURBAN PLANNING POLICY.

Two bedrock beliefs have been developed after a decade in architectural education and practice. The first is that the built environment is the principal transmitter of community identity, acting as both the subject of and backdrop to shared heritage. Preservation is the primary means of safeguarding the transmission of community identity against both natural and anthropic risks, while also amplifying its resources for future generations. The second belief is that housing is a human right. This right may manifest itself in many forms, but it is the driving force behind most development in the world. Between these two beliefs exists a common conflict: a tug-of-war between Preservation and Development, with one only benefiting at the expense of the other. However, for the safeguarding of a community’s heritage and the need to house that community, Preservation cannot be anti-Development, nor can Development be anti-Preservation. Amid a decades-long housing crisis–which will only be worsened by the densifying effects of climate-driven migration–Land Value Taxation, applied within the framework of a Conservation District, can protect and promote the flourishing of historic neighborhoods through the regeneration of historic resources and new development which actively engages in its community’s heritage. These effects are illustrated through a regenerative conservation plan for Arapahoe Square in Denver, Colorado, USA.