Community architecture preservation has gained increasing attention around the world since 1970s. Different from historic monuments, community architecture preservation concerns a wider scope. Thus, the goals and content of investigation for the purpose of preservation are different and must take more aspects into consideration. Since Japan has over 30 years of experience in implementing "local planning regulations for historic buildings conservation" and has achieved fruitful results, this study focuses on the Japanese experience and actual case histories. It discusses the goals and content of community architecture in the legal framework with the claimed purpose of preservation. It is concluded that besides the items surveyed in past academic investigations, the designation of community survey is also a process which motivates the residents' concern about the forward-vision of their neighbourhood. This framework also seeks a solution to accomplish future planning.