Title

Redeveloping the Urban Environment: Perceived Value in Historic Properties

Document Type

Thesis

Comments


Presented to the Graduate Council of Texas State University-San Marcos in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science, May 2008.
Committee Members Approved:
Dr. Kevin Romig, Chair
Dr. Denise Blanchard-Boehm
Dr. Fred Day
Approved:
J. Michael Willoughby, Dean of the Graduate College

Abstract

While maintaining an important role in an urban community's planning strategy, historic preservation often loses attention when competing with approaches specifically targeting economic revitalization, environmental degradation, and smart growth. Boasting strategic location and unique character, structures listed on the National Historic Register must attract commercial developers willing to commit to enhancing the historical integrity of the building as well as providing it with new economic vitality and relevance in the community. Yet all members of the community, including local and state governments, may have different views regarding the various choices made between modification and conservation in the process. Community participants share no widely-accepted standards by which to measure the end result of an historic redevelopment. Through intercept surveys, interviews, and historic research, this study creates a beneficial tool a historic preservation board may use to begin assessing redevelopment of a historic building. Basing its applicability on a case study of a recently redeveloped structure in Austin, Texas, the instrument aids in promoting community discussion and the overall satisfaction with the both the restored structure and new commercial endeavor.