Lancaster Central Market: Assessments, Guidelines, and Recommendations for Preservation and Development

The Lancaster Central Market: Assessments, Guidelines, and Recommendations for Preservation and Development guidelines were created after a comprehensive study of the Lancaster Central Market that connected the importance of architectural preservation, urban development history, and cultural heritage, to present planning and development decisions. The Central Market is on the National Register of Historic Places and was named by APA as one of the Great Public Spaces in America. The study of the Central Market that resulted in the planning guidelines was a regional first, producing a historical-architectural report to guide building renovations, before decisions were made for a capital improvement project.

The guidelines document and explain the market's historical, cultural, architectural, and urban design significance. It explains the relevance of architectural and preservation standards regarding the market's ongoing economic vitality and also serves as both a permanent public record and an educational tool. In addition to analyzing the Central Market's historical attributes, the manual's development and policy guidelines have helped refocus the market's operations toward securing the city's food supply and reaffirming the market's economic connection between the region's agricultural producers and its urban consumers.

Central Market - 'After' - interior overall view from the north wall, showing improved daylighting, new lighting fixtures, enhanced visibility of superstructure, and reduced vendor stand heights.