Preservation & Inclusion

Today’s preservation movement recognizes the need for more complete, inclusive representation of communities across the nation, which are increasingly socio-economically, racially, ethnically, culturally, and generationally diverse. Preservation efforts must prioritize inclusion in order to tell an accurate and comprehensive story—and to remain relevant. Professional development and training resources help preservationists engage diverse groups and preserve sites significant to historically underrepresented communities—including people of color, women, LGBTQ, and youth—to tell a broader range of stories.

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Preservation & ReUrbanism

As cities grow and change, they should do so leveraging the assets they already have—the older buildings and blocks that have the enormous power and potential to improve health, affordability, prosperity, and well-being. Ultimately, it’s the mix of old and new buildings, working together to fashion dense, walkable, and thriving streets, that helps us achieve a more prosperous, sustainable, and healthier future. The National Trust’s work in cities to make adaptive reuse the default development option is called ReUrbanism—promoting building reuse as essential to economic growth and vibrant communities.

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Preservation & Sustainability

The ‘greenest building’ argument has dominated conversations around sustainability and historic preservation for decades, recognizing that existing buildings are inherently ‘greener’ when compared to demolition and new construction. But in recent years, sustainability has come to mean more than simply being environmentally responsible. Older buildings and blocks are a key component to creating successful cities and neighborhoods – historic fabric creates economically vital, socially equitable, and strong, resilient neighborhoods.

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Preservation & Historic Sites

The dynamic field of preservation is forging a versatile new relationship with historic sites—and with the landscapes in which they are situated—for the 21st century. Today preservationists are re-evaluating the role of house museums, applying new interpretive frameworks to historic sites, rethinking how best to manage collections, representing a broader range of stories—and developing tools to encompass this evolution.

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Preservation & Real Estate

Real estate defines a finite resource—land—that supports an infinite of set of activities and responsibilities, but it also describes where we live: our cities and town, our homes, our schools, our churches, and our favorite nearby coffee shops. This human aspect gives preservationists and historic property redevelopers a competitive advantage that reaches beyond the paper transaction and enables us inform the process that determines not only where we live but also how we live.

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