From the Birmingham website:

Housing Birmingham is an established, upscale community with tree-lined streets, a wide variety of home styles and sizes, and consistently rising property values. There are few remaining sites on which to build new homes, so developers and homeowners renovate or enlarge, or raze and rebuild on existing property. The average selling price of a single-family home was $369,201 in 2001, an increase of nearly 61 percent from 1997. Many Birmingham neighborhoods have active neighborhood associations, which work to boost the sense of pride neighbors take in owning and caring for their homes.
The number of historic homes and buildings reflect the historic character of the city, which is preserved by the city's Historic District Design and Review Commission. The HDDRC and the Birmingham City Commission give yearly Historic Preservation Awards to residential and commercial property owners and merchants, recognizing their efforts in preservation and maintaining historic properties.