Nearly two decades ago, I became deeply interested in how historic preservation doctrine, represented through orthodox preservation theory and expressed in international and national charters and rules, regulations, and guidelines, manifested as a social justice problem. The core issue is how this orthodox doctrine serves as a means to...
Natural resource conservation and historic preservation: Never the twain shall meet? A potential solution centered in equity and inclusion
As I was listening to the session on “A New Framework for Blended Conservation of the Built and Natural Environment” from PastForward 2020 (the US National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual conference), I was inspired to write this post. While the aim of the session was admirable, what I...
The Last Gasp of Traditional Theory in Preservation?
The International Committee on the Theory and Philosophy of Conservation and Restoration (Theophilos) is one of the more active scientific committees in ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites). In the past I was involved the committee’s work, especially in contributing to its 2015 conference proceedings, although I have...
Cultural history vs. cultural significance: Confused local attempts at increasing diversity in the preservation ordinance
Recently, changes to the City of Denver’s Landmark Preservation Ordinance became effective to allow the designation of buildings and places that have “cultural significance.” This change is, in the words of the City, to increase “inclusion” in the landmarking process and “highlight Denver’s diversity.” While the aims of the...
How US law is the cause of social justice issues in historic preservation practice
Social justice issues come in many forms, including the disproportionate impact that the Covid-19 virus and police brutality have had on African American populations. The law can be both a friend, and often a foe, for achieving justice. In the case of police brutality, qualified immunity gives police immense...
Local preservation ordinances: A one size fits all approach to social injustice
In a recent study, Avrami et al. (2018), found 86% of the local historic preservation ordinances sampled across the United States are nearly 100% derivative of the standards for significance and historical integrity found in the federal National Register (NR) of Historic Places guidelines. In my own work, I’ve...
Social justice and using heritage values to prioritize climate change decisions
Erin Seekamp (NC State University), Sandra Fatorić (Delft University of Technology), and Allie McCreary (Western Kentucky University) just published “Historic Preservation Priorities for Climate Adaptation” in Ocean and Coastal Management that’s worth a close read. This is one of the only research papers that surveys “experts” and “community groups” to ascertain how their...
“Challenges and Innovations Occurring in the Preservation Field”
The US-based National Trust for Historic Preservation is asking for input, via a survey on the “Challenges and Innovations Occurring in the Preservation Field.” The survey asks some very useful and relevant questions, and I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to post my response to a few...
Call for Papers: The Haunted South
I received the text, below, from one of the conference session organizers. Delta Symposium XXVI: The Haunted South Call for Papers Location: Jonesboro, AR (USA)Website:AState.edu/delta-symAbstract deadline: December 19, 2019 The Department of English, Philosophy, and World Languages at Arkansas State University opens a call for papers and presentations for the twenty-sixth...
Creating Safe Places for Historic Preservation Practitioners to Think and Innovate
For many years, scholars have been criticizing the practice of historic preservation/built heritage conservation because of its over-reliance on art/historical facts and its reluctance to accommodate a more people-centered approach. To wit, Labrador and Silberman (2018, 5) advocate a new system in which a focus on “how authenticity is...