Integrating historic preservation into a wider framework of urban development through comprehensive planning: an evaluation of local comprehensive plans in US state capitals

Historic preservation should be integrated into the broader framework of urban development. This makes preservation through local comprehensive planning a good option. However, few local comprehensive plans have demonstrated the content or quality needed to preserve or make effective use of historic resources. This study uses content analysis to evaluate the extent to which US state capitals have integrated historic preservation into local comprehensive plans. Multiple regression is then used to analyze the variables that affect the quality of those plans. The study reveals that historic preservation is integrated into local comprehensive plans to a moderate extent, which varies widely among U.S. state capitals. Indicators in the implementation component of these plans achieve a generally weak performance, as do indicators for the energy theme in urban development. The present study also shows that when preservationists are included among the plan authors and heritage committees are involved in the planning process, the plans are of higher quality. Finally, this study provides policy recommendations, based on these results, to guide planners, managers, decision makers, preservation advocates, and citizens toward more effective ways of integrating historic preservation into the comprehensive planning process.