Preserving Whose Neighborhood?

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of adaptive reuse of buildings by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) on property values and neighborhood change in Savannah, Georgia in the context of historic preservation. SCAD is one of the largest landowners in a city that is celebrated for its designation on the National Register of Historic Places, yet is heavily populated by an under-educated and poor African-American population. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research estimates changes in property value, housing composition, and socioeconomic characteristics in neighborhoods where SCAD restored buildings for use by the college.