Do heritage conservation districts work? The case of Kitchener's Upper Doon district

Many countries including Canada use the designation of heritage conservation districts as a tool to manage change in historic areas. Designation attempts to provide an orderly way of reviewing potential changes in an effort to ensure the maintenance of historic value. However, there has been some opposition to district designation in Canada, often based on myths and false premises. T ose opposing designation view it as restricting property rights and undermining property values. However, research from across North America generally shows a correlation between designation and increased property values. The current study examined the Upper Doon district established in Kitchener, Ontario in 1988. Several questions were asked: has the district achieved its stated goals, how do residents feel about it and what has happened to property values. Results affirm that residents are knowledgeable about the functioning of their district and satisfied. Furthermore, the data show that all applications for changes were approved speedily, and that properties performed above average in the market.