Historic Preservation & Community Conservation: Solution to Urban Sprawl 
by Judith Johnson

Historic preservation is a tool of urban revitalization, no longer associated with just the preservation of rare historic buildings but as a part of an array of tools to be used to sustain, preserve and conserve our urban environment. The urban planning ideals of the early twentieth century are being reexamined in the aftermath of the urban sprawl of the post WW II automobile era. Communities of mixed use, modest lot sizes, parks, schools, churches within walking distance and more pedestrian friendly streetscapes are all features of the Neo-Traditional developments like Harbor Town. However, preservationists recognize the same Old-Traditional elements that still exist in the neighborhoods of Midtown, University District, South Memphis and North Memphis.

Preserving Memphis neighborhoods helps conserve our uniquely Southern landscapes, protects our aquifer, reduces the use of building materials needed for development, and reduces the dependency on automobiles.  Historic preservation is a viable strategy for urban revitalization and preservation and conservation of parkland, farms, roadways, trail systems, and scenic areas.  Although Memphis Heritage Inc. (MHI) is an historic preservation organization, we join with local conservation organizations in advocating smart growth for not just Shelby County but the entire West Tennessee area since sprawl is a regional issue.

Sprawl negatively affects us by diminishing our greenspace, clean air and water supply locally.  Sprawl also robs us of our most precious resource, time, and therefore diminishes our society.  Time that could be spent bonding with oneís family, pursuing hobbies or engaging in civic activities.  In Robert Putnamís new book, Bowling Alone, the author states, ìevery ten minutes of commuting time cuts all forms of civic engagement by 10%.î 

The rebirth of downtown Memphis with its thriving residential base points out that there is a market for urban living.  The compact, pedestrian-friendly downtown area is attracting a diverse group including recent college graduates, working singles and couples, retirees and even traditional families.  They are attracted to the historic buildings, the Mississippi River and the amenities such as the trolley.  Other older areas of town have also experienced revitalization while reusing existing buildings, thus preventing not only sprawl but also a needless loss of the built environment. 

Preservation offers many tools for revitalization such as tax credits, easements, etc. These can and have been used very effectively by some perceptive developers in our own city and should be acknowledged, promoted and advanced! Another less-obvious economic benefit is the retention and use of all the energy that has already gone into building construction. Someday our descendants will praise us for conserving the untold materials and person-hours embodied in even the simplest structure. 

Historic preservationism is often scorned because we try to protect the old, the historic.  Our allegiance is actually to the future, not the past.  Not every old building is historic; certainly not every old building is worth saving, and sometimes places are of great historic or cultural significance even if they are not old. Preservation is an ethic that values diversity in place.  Knowing and appreciating the heritage context of place offers future generations a broader array of choices and preserves the possibility of a fuller experience.

What is the sprawl problem?  Sprawl is the uncontained bleeding edge of urban development.  At its worst, sprawl serves to disconnect people and place.  Consider how very different the George Kessler Plan of 1901 for the creation of the Memphis Parkway System is than the reality of the Nonconnah Parkway.  Kessler created the opportunity for place.  Nonconnah creates delay of place.  Obviously cities depend on growth and development but edges do not have to endlessly bleed.  They do not have to result in sameness everywhere.  There is no rule or market that says defining landscape character must be reconfigured, or that stands of oak and hickory must be uprooted, or that existing roads must be rerouted to make way for the new.  Kessler recognized this one hundred years ago when he laid out our magnificent parkways.

So, what is the solution to todayís sprawl problem? There is no single right answer. It is a comprehensive approach. Growing ìsmartî means that there are smart thoughtful citizens engaged in preparing for growth and dedicated to creating an opportunity for a sense of place to evolve.  Consideration for mass transit, downtown and neighborhood housing, and the relationship between workplace and home place is fundamental. Issues of safety, tax incentives, design control, public amenities, and livability factors such as view and watershed protection also need to be weighed.  Sprawl is not just a city-county issue; it is of regional consequence.  Policies and procedures for conserving open space and distinctive landscape elements need to be incorporated into urban development practice. 

MHI has in the past, and continues to be, a strong  advocate for the preservation of suburban open spaces such as Shelby Farms, and in the preservation of the character of historic farms like the Fleming Home Place and DeLoach House in Collierville, the Davies Manor in Brunswick, Mount Airy Farm at Pisgah, and others.  While considered to be rural properties today, these are the places for the retention of open space for the future, and many are already facing pressure from development that may lead to the diminishment of their historic, open-space character.

A distinctive historic structure being defiled with an insensitive new addition causes a visual disconnection.  Something is out of place here. Likewise, sprawl reflects insensitivity at the edge of urban development.  Historic preservation seeks ways to fuse the old with new to allow the transition without jarring the senses. The benefits of alternatives to sprawl would be stronger, happier citizens and families, more convenience, more choice and a greater sense of community. Increasingly, the quality of life issues that currently plague overgrown areas such as Metro Atlanta and Southern California are going to plague us Mid-Southerners unless we retake control of our built and natural environments.

Careful and considered planning for future growth requires envisioning pathways for places and communities of distinction to emerge. Preservation of historic structures and neighborhoods within the developed city is a vital part of this consideration and at the heart of the Memphis Heritage mission.  Even with our current unchecked urban sprawl, the successes of the Cooper-Young and South Main Street neighborhoods serve as useful and intelligent guideposts to building places with lasting value. Maintaining distinctive landscape features, preserving references to history can turn the sameness of sprawl into planned growth. 

Often with sprawl, we know what happened before and we are just replaying the same bad outcome repeatedly. There is a better way. Imagine what we could do for our inner city if our political and business leaders would champion against unchecked sprawl. It will take great vision and leadership to do this but until we do, our efforts to revitalize poor inner city neighborhoods will be like putting a Band-Aid on a hemorrhage.  We have to stop bleeding at the edges before we can strengthen and heal our heart. 

Judith Johnson is the founder and principal of  Judith Johnson & Associates Historic Preservation Services.

This essay originally appeared in the March 2001 Memphis magazine. Reprinted with permission of Memphis magazine.