Planning for Heritage Preservation

This class provides an introduction to heritage preservation planning at the local level in the United States. It begins by examining a series of related questions that are currently
subjects of active debate within the community of preservation scholars and practitioners. These questions include: What does it mean to "plan" for heritage preservation? Given the wide breadth of all that could be considered heritage--from buildings to landscapes to foodways--what are the appropriate subjects and contents of a preservation plan? Does preservation planning intersect with, and take into account, larger issues of city planning, and vice versa? How has the content and practice of preservation planning changed over time, and how might it (or should it) change in the future?

These questions are debated both before and throughout the execution of a hands-on,
community-based, case-study project. The class researches, recommends, and presents policies and programs to address the disposition of foreclosed and abandoned properties in Saint Paul's Dayton's Bluff historic district. Housing foreclosure is a growing nationwide epidemic that presents an especially unique challenge within a city-designated historic district. While other cities propose demolition of "blighted" vacant property, St. Paul should be a leader in the revitalization of historic and culturally significant properties. City-owned historic houses on East 4th Street are proposed as a pilot project to create best practices that can be replicated throughout the Twin Cities and beyond.

ForeclosureResponse_Part1_RFS.pdf