As city leaders look at ways to shrink Lansing, Michigan to a more sustainable size, historic preservationists say "Stop, Look and Listen" before you go clearing out neighborhoods of historic residences.
Brenna Maloney explains that Lansing is somewhat unique in that its economic base isn't doing too badly. But the city is considering clearing some neighborhoods that sit in a flood plain.
Maloney says sometimes the right thing to do in historic preservation is to save homes at the neighborhood level like these:
"In a shrinking city, what is most important to preserve is not necessarily the monumental buildings, or the interesting river front warehouses, or the breath-taking architect-designed mansions. No, the most important things to save are the places that the people that do the living and working in those places themselves love – the places that define who they are."
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