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SECTION 8: HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN PARIS <br />1. Introduction. <br />Historic preservation has become an increasingly important function of city planning. By the 1980's, <br />hundreds of American cities had local landmarks or historic preservation commissions staffed by <br />architectural historians and planners. <br />An important outcome of the new interest in historic preservation was systematic efforts to revitalize <br />old neighborhood business centers and small-town main streets. The National Main Street Center, <br />launched in 1980 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, tied together city planning, <br />preservation, and economic development approaches to the needs of smaller cities and towns. <br />The earliest officially recognized historic preservation entities were structures and/or areas that had <br />national historic significance. Next, state historic entities were granted historic preservation status. <br />During approximately the past forty years in America, however, many local communities have granted <br />their own historic designation in particular for buildings or structures that have special or historic <br />significance regarding social, historical, political, cultural, and/or aesthetic significance to that <br />particular community. The major implementation tool for said local historic preservation is typically <br />the municipality's zoning ordinance and/or its historic preservation ordinance. <br />In 1999 the Texas Historical Commission and a number of local preservation commissions and not -for - <br />profits released a study of the economic impacts of historic preservation. The report stated the <br />impact on jobs, state and national economies, and the report also stated results of heritage tourism <br />programs. One of its most important findings was to state that designation of historic districts <br />positively influenced property values, thus establishing the long-term benefits of historic preservation <br />programs for revitalization. <br />Further, experience in America has shown that areas that include a number of historic preservation <br />sites and/or buildings can instigate "peripheral" new development in and around said historical <br />preservation areas. Often these peripheral areas at the boundaries of these historical areas are <br />themselves developed with residential units, recreational, restaurant, and other business entities, <br />thereby socially and economically enhancing the overall larger area. <br />A particular advantage of historic preservation of residential dwelling units—typically single-family <br />homes, but also townhomes and row houses—is that such historic designation helps to stabilize older <br />communities. While it is true that historic preservation requirements of some residential units can <br />sometimes be a financial burden to that property owner, there can be larger benefits to the overall <br />community which includes: residents "living in place"; stabilization of residents and businesses within <br />the subject area; maintenance or enhancement of existing businesses, and potential instigation of <br />new residential areas and business at the borders of said historical preservation areas. <br />2. Relationship of Historic Preservation to the Time Frames of Long -Range and Short -Range Plans. <br />19 <br />