Heritage conservation districts work: Evidence from the province of Ontario, Canada

Regulating change in historic districts to maintain their character is a conservation tool used around the world. In spite of success elsewhere, heritage conservation districts are still resisted by many in North America. To address the concerns of those opposed, the oldest 32 of 93 districts in Ontario were studied. Resident surveys, land-use mapping, townscape evaluation, land value records, municipal documents, and interviews were used. Findings indicate that people who live and own property in districts are satisfied, requests for alterations are approved promptly, districts meet most of their goals, and property values perform better in the marketplace than those in surrounding areas.