Sustainable Development - Protecting our Past and our Future

Published: April 2015

There's always something special about walking down a bustling urban street and admiring a heritage building, perhaps browsing for antiques at an old shop, or meeting friends at a pub in a former 19^th-century home. Many of the most spectacular streetscapes in Canada feature a combination of modern and historic buildings, creating a fusion of old and new. Located in city cores, historic buildings are key to urban revitalization and renewal, and to sustainable development. Through the revitalization of old buildings for new restaurants, shops, offices and residences, communities can generate income and create trendy, visually and socially interesting areas. The sustainability and rehabilitation of historic places is also environmentally responsible.

Sustainable development holds environmental, social, and economic benefits for everyone. Heritage conservation responds to these benefits by rehabilitating heritage buildings, a practice that reduces waste and conserves energy. This approach also conserves important non-renewable resources. Many Canadian towns and cities have capitalized on the concept of sustainable development and have converted heritage buildings into functional and fashionable districts.

Granville Block NHS (left) is a prime example of successful heritage rehabilitation. Located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, this complex of 19^th-century buildings was an early and influential demonstration that heritage conservation is a viable approach to urban planning. Once a busy thoroughfare for commercial activity in Halifax, Granville Block was rehabilitated in the early 1970s and today houses specialty shops, as well as the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, a key partner in the rehabilitation project.

Located in Saint John, New Brunswick, Prince William Streetscape (right) is an important example of successful heritage conservation. Creating a sense of time and place through its historic buildings, the Prince William Streetscape is a rare concentration of homogenous, primarily late 19^th-century architecture. Often referred to as "Wall Street," the district now contains a variety of shops and businesses while showcasing the work of many Scottish, American, and Canadian architects.

Historic places can be conserved and serve entirely new purposes. This process has been going on for thousands of years. Known as adaptive reuse, this is an important means by which historic places are conserved. Morrin College / Former Québec Prison NHS in Quebec City, for example, served several different purposes throughout its history. As the Quebec City Common Gaol (1813-1868), the Morrin College (1862-1902), and the home of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec (1824-present), this imposing yet dignified Neoclassical building was the realization of a heritage building that preserved a part of Quebec's history, while reflecting how a place can be transformed over centuries through care and maintenance.

Despite measures to protect historic places and to promote sustainability, older buildings are often torn down to make way for new construction. The concept of "Greenwashing," known as the act of misleading the public about the environmental benefits of services, products or practices, is a serious issue when confronting the rehabilitation of heritage buildings. A tendency to favour the construction of new buildings over repurposing old ones under the pretence that newer buildings will be more "green" is often the least environmentally-friendly option. The sturdy construction and quality materials of historic places make for lasting buildings. They are adaptable and durable, and their conservation reduces waste and energy.

Next time you hear about an historic place being threatened with demolition to clear space for new construction, consider the environmental and cultural consequences of the project; things are not always as they seem! And remember, rehabilitation of historic places has a lot of advantages, including saving our historic places for future generations. Sustainable development is a win, win, win for everyone!