Another Lesson from Raleigh

Rochester and the Northeast in general place a premium on the maintenance of old buildings.  Even when new buildings are built, they are made to fit the character of neighborhoods that are full of old buildings.  This noble cause of preservation helps maintain a certain uniqueness in an era when much of America looks remarkably the same.  Unfortunately, a fine line exists between preservation and obstruction.

A look around the country suggests that Americans are not nearly as interested in architecture as some would maintain.  As an example, Raleigh, North Carolina, one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country, is full of developments that might horrify Northeasterners.  Yet the area continues to be a magnet for...Northeasterners.

While I have zero expertise in zoning and urban development (for that, go to the amazing site Rochester Subway), the following seems like a logical approach to rebuilding Rust Belt cities such as Rochester:

• If private money can pursue a new venture by reusing an old building, all parties can be content.
• If private money can pursue a new venture that mandates the demolition or alteration of an abandoned structure, obstructionism to the point of derailing the development and preserving the abandoned structure is puzzling.