Demolition by neglect

Last updated
In order to combat demolition by neglect, New Orleans has enacted ordinances that require the structural maintenance of French Quarter structures under threat of criminal penalty French Quarter - New Orleans, Louisiana.jpg
In order to combat demolition by neglect, New Orleans has enacted ordinances that require the structural maintenance of French Quarter structures under threat of criminal penalty

Demolition by neglect refers to the practice of allowing a building to deteriorate to the point that demolition becomes necessary or restoration becomes unreasonable. [1] The practice has been used by property owners as a means of sidestepping historic preservation laws by providing justification for the demolition of historical buildings. [2] In order to prevent demolition by neglect, a number of cities have adopted ordinances requiring property owners to properly maintain historical buildings. [3]

Contents

Challenges in Enforcement

Enforcing anti-neglect ordinances poses challenges, including distinguishing intentional neglect from other factors, addressing claims of financial hardship by property owners, and managing the high costs and time demands of legal proceedings. [4]

Notable Cases

Hotel Yugoslavia, Belgrade: This landmark faced potential demolition due to prolonged neglect, sparking public opposition and debates over heritage preservation. [5]

India Buildings, Glasgow: After years of neglect, this historic structure was demolished, raising concerns about the loss of architectural heritage and the effectiveness of preservation laws. [6]

Preventive Measures

To prevent demolition by neglect, communities can implement strategies such as regular inspections to identify early signs of neglect, financial incentives like grants and tax credits to support maintenance, and public awareness programs to educate about the importance of preservation. Proactive measures help municipalities protect cultural and historical assets effectively. [7]

Artistic Interventions

In 2024, the anonymous street artist Lionel created an installation titled "Demolition by Neglect" on Guelph’s historic McQuillan Bridge. By wrapping the bridge in orange material, Lionel highlighted its deteriorating state and drew public attention to issues of cultural heritage preservation. This intervention spurred community discussions on the maintenance of historic structures and led to a swift response from local authorities, who addressed concerns about the bridge’s condition. [8] [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission</span> New York City agency

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and culturally significant buildings and sites by granting them landmark or historic district status, and regulating them after designation. It is the largest municipal preservation agency in the nation. As of July 1, 2020, the LPC has designated more than 37,800 landmark properties in all five boroughs. Most of these are concentrated in historic districts, although there are over a thousand individual landmarks, as well as numerous interior and scenic landmarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Historic preservation</span> Preservation of items of historical significance

Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK) is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philosophical concept that became popular in the twentieth century, which maintains that cities as products of centuries' development should be obligated to protect their patrimonial legacy. The term refers specifically to the preservation of the built environment, and not to preservation of, for example, primeval forests or wilderness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation and restoration of immovable cultural property</span> Process of preservation of historically significant buildings

Conservation and restoration of immovable cultural property describes the process through which the material, historical, and design integrity of any immovable cultural property are prolonged through carefully planned interventions. The individual engaged in this pursuit is known as an architectural conservator-restorer. Decisions of when and how to engage in an intervention are critical to the ultimate conservation-restoration of cultural heritage. Ultimately, the decision is value based: a combination of artistic, contextual, and informational values is normally considered. In some cases, a decision to not intervene may be the most appropriate choice.

<i>Ontario Heritage Act</i> Canadian act

The Ontario Heritage Act, first enacted on March 5, 1975, allows municipalities and the provincial government to designate individual properties and districts in the Canadian Province of Ontario, as being of cultural heritage value or interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation</span>

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is the United States' largest statewide, nonprofit preservation organization with more than 8,000 members. Founded in 1973 by Mary Gregory Jewett and others, the Trust is committed to preserving and enhancing Georgia's communities and their diverse historic resources for the education and enjoyment of all.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Historic districts in the United States</span>

Historic districts in the United States are designated historic districts recognizing a group of buildings, archaeological resources, or other properties as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects, and sites within a historic district are normally divided into two categories, contributing and non-contributing. Districts vary greatly in size and composition: a historic district could comprise an entire neighborhood with hundreds of buildings, or a smaller area with just one or a few resources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contributing property</span> Key component of a place listed on the National Register of Historic Places

In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district significant. Government agencies, at the state, national, and local level in the United States, have differing definitions of what constitutes a contributing property but there are common characteristics. Local laws often regulate the changes that can be made to contributing structures within designated historic districts. The first local ordinances dealing with the alteration of buildings within historic districts was enacted in Charleston, South Carolina in 1931.

The City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission, established in 1977, is the Omaha city government's a nine-member board responsible for recommending official Omaha Landmarks to the Omaha City Council. The Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission is that was established by ordinance in 1977 to review and recommend to the City Council on all matters pertaining to the designation of individual buildings, sites, objects, or entire districts of local historical significance. The commission is staffed by the Landmarks Division of the Omaha Planning Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Buenaventura Mission Aqueduct</span> United States historic place

The San Buenaventura Mission Aqueduct was a seven-mile long, stone and mortar aqueduct built in the late 18th and/or early 19th century to transport water from the Ventura River to the Mission San Buenaventura in Ventura, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument</span> Heritage designation of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites which have been designated by the Los Angeles, California, Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds Civic Trust</span> Voluntary organisation and registered charity

Leeds Civic Trust is a voluntary organisation and registered charity established in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England in 1965. Affiliated to the national charity Civic Voice, its stated purpose is "to stimulate public interest in and care for the beauty, history, and character of the city and locality, to encourage high standards of design, architecture and town planning; [and] to encourage the development and improvement of features of general public amenity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation</span> US non-profit educational institution

Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation is a non-profit educational institution in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. Its purpose is to encourage and assist the preservation of historic structures in Washington County, Pennsylvania. The foundation operates its own landmark certification process, as well as working with the National Park Service to document and place landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places. It also offers advice and assistance for historic building owners who wish to preserve their facilities. Since its inception, the foundation has been successful in helping many historic building owners in the preservation of their structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Heritage</span> Nonprofit historic-preservation organization

Baltimore Heritage is an American nonprofit historic-preservation organization headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davenport Register of Historic Properties</span>

This is a list of the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in Davenport, Iowa, United States.

The City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board is responsible for designating and preserving structures of historical importance in Seattle, Washington. The board recommends actions to the Seattle City Council, which fashions these into city ordinances with the force of law. The board is part of the city's Department of Neighborhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veljković Family House</span> Building in Savski Venac, Serbia

The Veljković Family House is a historic building that hosts frequent cultural events and exhibitions in central Belgrade, Serbia, Built in 1883 in the style of 19th century academism, it was the historical seat of the elite Veljković family, and initially known for its interior architecture and 1931 art pavilion. Plundered and half-destroyed in 1944 by Soviet occupation forces and then seized by the communist Yugoslavian state, its garden became the site of the East German Embassy while the house remained neglected for four decades, until renovation work begun by the family in 1991 was completed in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lionel (artist)</span> Canadian urban artist

Lionel is an anonymous street artist based in Guelph, Ontario, known for street installations that focus on social, political, and environmental themes. Lionel presents work in public spaces to address topics such as cultural heritage, homelessness, and global conflicts. Projects have ranged from city-based installations and bus shelter ad-hacks to large-scale protests, contributing to local discussions on the role of street art in social activism.

References

  1. "The Police Power, Eminent Domain, and the Preservation of Historic Property". Columbia Law Review. 63 (4): 708–732. April 1963. doi:10.2307/1120584. ISSN   0010-1958. JSTOR   1120584.
  2. Wheeler, Linda (June 24, 1999). "'An End to Demolition by Neglect'". The Washington Post.
  3. Newman, Galen; Saginor, Jesse (2014-10-20). "Four Imperatives for Preventing Demolition by Neglect". Journal of Urban Design. 19 (5): 622–637. doi:10.1080/13574809.2014.943705. ISSN   1357-4809.
  4. "Demolition by Neglect" (PDF). Raleigh Historic Development Commission. Raleigh Historic Development Commission. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  5. "Belgrade's landmark Hotel Yugoslavia faces likely demolition, with many opposed". Associated Press. 2024-02-01. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  6. "Scotland is bulldozing buildings and we can't do anything to stop it". The Times. 2024-01-20.
  7. "Establishing a Demolition by Neglect Ordinance" (PDF). California State Parks: Office of Historic Preservation. California Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  8. "'Demolition by Neglect': Installation by Street Artist Lionel Calls Attention to Guelph's McQuillan Bridge". Guelph Mercury. 2024-07-31.
  9. "City to Remove Street Art Installation from Historic Bridge". Guelph Today. 2024-07-26.