Course Syllabus
Prof. Erica Avrami's Office Hours sign-up
This course provides a broad-ranging introduction to preservation planning and policy, and examines the ways in which historic preservation/heritage conservation intersects with broader issues of justice and equity, community development, land use planning, real estate, climate change, and civil society. This course will help students to:
- Understand how socio-spatial histories and dynamics inform the construction of heritage concepts, tools, and policies;
- Think critically about the role of preservation vis à vis multiple publics and the broader management of the built environment, and to challenge the preservation enterprise to confront racism and other forms of exclusion manifest in and perpetuated by the built environment;
- Advance preservation as a tool for positive change through the proficient use of socio-spatial analyses, community/stakeholder engagement approaches, planning tools and methods (social, economic, and environmental), and financial incentives; and
- Engage creatively and effectively in examining the social, economic, and environmental outcomes and consequences of preservation policy.
Key questions to be explored include:
- How do we decide what is heritage?
- Whose stories and places are represented?
- How do we manage heritage and incentivize its preservation?
- Who participates in decision-making?
- How do we evaluate preservation planning and policy outcomes?
- Who benefits or is burdened by decision-making?
Fundamental to these inquiries will be a questioning and re-questioning of who constitutes “we.” As a form of public policy, historic preservation has an affirmative obligation to serve all publics, yet must mediate the intersection of government authority and individual freedom. Likewise, preservationists are at once “experts” in heritage and facilitators of community-driven processes about how collective identity and values are shaped in and by the built environment. Understanding the positionality of preservationists and related practitioners, and that of various publics – especially those who have been historically marginalized within the field and within the built environment – will constitute a critical thread of examination.
The course will utilize theoretical and applied readings, lectures, case-based analyses, individual and small group assignments, and dynamic discussion to explore the aforementioned issues. Primary focus will be on the United States, but the course will also examine some international policies and practices (which will be explored in other Historic Preservation courses). Likewise, while this course considers issues of climate change within its scope, a separate elective course, Climate and the Existing Built Environment (offered in Spring 2026), addresses this more directly and in greater depth.
Course Format and Platforms
Canvas (also referred to as Courseworks) will serve as the primary platform for the organization of the course and its resources. The course is organized in weekly modules. Modules will be added for each week as the course progresses and will include required reading and/or viewing, assignment descriptions and sign-ups, and in some cases links to pre-class preparatory work.
Course Requirements
Class Participation & Reading/Listening/Viewing: Policies, practices, and the concepts that underpin them will be explored largely through robust discussion of the texts, lectures, and cases presented. Therefore, it is imperative that each individual keep up with the weekly module readings and/or viewing, prepare questions for each module based on the readings and/or viewing, and participate fully in group discussions, for their own benefit as well as that of their fellow students. Readings will be a critical foundation for assigned papers (see below).
Exercises: Two written exercises are due over the course of the semester; specific directions will be distributed and discussed in class, and posted on Courseworks. These exercises are not graded but are required:
- Municipal Meeting Exercise – viewing online or observing in person a municipal-level preservation commission meeting or hearing, and preparing questions to share with the class on Oct 1.
- Zoning Exercise – preparing a brief zoning analysis related to your building assignment in HP Studio I. Students not enrolled in HP Studio I may choose any NYC building.
Group Presentations: Students are required to sign up for three (3) small-group assignments; specific instructions for each assignment and links for group sign-ups will be posted on Courseworks. Students receive a group grade for the assignment, meaning every member of the group receives the same grade:
- Values Debate – a case-based exploration of how multiple publics ascribe value to heritage
- Local Regulation Analysis – a comparative analysis of municipal-level legislation, policy, and processes.
- Incentives Analysis – an examination of financial incentives used to promote preservation through real estate development.
Papers: Students are required to write two papers (individually) during the semester; specific instructions will be posted for each. Students receive an individual grade for the assignment:
- Midterm paper/case study – mock grant proposal to co-produce knowledge through community engagement, as a tool for learning about the significance of a heritage place.
- Final paper/case study – evaluation of a redevelopment project that demonstrates the application of one or more preservation incentives.
Land Acknowledgments
We will begin some class sessions with a very brief land acknowledgement, also known as a territorial acknowledgement. Erica (Prof. Avrami) will undertake the land acknowledgement on the first day of class, and students may undertake the land acknowledgement for subsequent classes. This is completely VOLUNTARY and is NOT graded, but it will be considered in determining the class participation portion of a student’s course grade. See the land acknowledgment assignment on Courseworks for more information and a sign-up link.
Key Dates
Oct 1 Prepare questions for in-class municipal meeting exercise
Oct 15 In-class Values Debate
Oct 22 Local Regulation Analysis presentations
Nov 7 Mid-term Paper due
Nov 14 Zoning exercise due
Nov 19 Incentives Analysis presentations
Dec 12 Final Paper due
Grading
Class Participation: 20%
Group Assignments: 30%
Papers: 50%
Grading is based on the GSAPP policy of High Pass, Pass, Low Pass, Fail. Grading will consider the student’s ability to undertake substantive independent or collaborative research, think critically and analytically, express ideas effectively through written and oral communication, demonstrate proficient understanding of the subject matter, and apply concepts with rigor and creativity.
Academic Integrity
This course will adhere strictly to GSAPP’s Plagiarism Policy. For additional resources regarding academic integrity, please see guidance from the Provost and the Center for Teaching and Learning. In addition, to respect the privacy and intellectual property of both students and faculty, no recordings of lectures, presentations, or class discussions may be shared with anyone other than those enrolled in the course, per University Policy. Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is not permitted in this course. As noted in the University’s Generative AI Policy, these tools may be unreliable, inaccurate, biased, outdated, copyrighted, and without proper citations. Use of generative AI may be grounds for failure and/or disciplinary actions.
AI may be used in this course for copyediting purposes only. Any use for copyediting must be appropriately acknowledged and the platform cited in the assignment deliverable. Please be aware that each student is responsible for assessing the validity and applicability of any submitted AI output, and violations of this policy will be considered academic misconduct. If you find yourself uncertain about the appropriate ways and circumstances to employ AI, please feel free to seek guidance from your instructor
Academic Freedom
Knowledge flourishes when inquiry is free and respectful. This course aims to advance knowledge through discussion, debate, and carefully selected readings and assignments. In accordance with principles of academic freedom promulgated by the American Association of University Professors and affirmed by many universities, including Columbia, the instructor has the authority to set the class syllabus, which may include controversial material relevant to topics being studied. While all participants and their views will be treated respectfully, no one should expect to be shielded from challenging or even upsetting ideas, since thoughtfully engaging such ideas is crucial to free inquiry and intellectual growth.
Course Modules
Courseworks serves as the primary platform for the course, which is organized in weekly modules. Modules include reading, listening, viewing, and other preparatory work required for class, as well as assignment descriptions and sign-ups. Supplemental (not required) reading/viewing will also be posted for those who want to engage more deeply with the topic.
Week 1 Sept 3 Preservation as Public Policy
Syllabus review, defining “heritage,” publics and preservation, preservation as public policy, community agreement for the course
Week 2 Sept 10 Preservation Policy in its Historical Context: Preservation histories and movements; development as a discipline and form of public policy; emergence of key tools; intersections with other forms of public policy and defining events
Week 3 Sept 17 Deciding what is Heritage: Values and Significance: People, places, and social-spatial dynamics; the role and privilege of listing/designation in policy; concepts of significance and designation criteria; assessing significance; different knowledges and ways of knowing; “expertise” and community-based decision-making; emergence of participatory and values-based planning methodologies
Week 4 Sept 24 International Policy: Intergovernmental infrastructure (UNESCO, ICCROM, etc.); international conventions (e.g. World Heritage); professional organizations (e.g. ICOMOS); professional policies, charters, and standards
Legislation and Regulatory Frameworks (national): International precedents; legal rationales for preservation in the US; government ownership vs. regulation; development of National Historic Preservation Act and the federal preservation system
Week 5 Oct 1 Legislation and Regulatory Frameworks (national con’t) & Legislation and Regulatory Frameworks (local): Key actors; forms and levels of designation; regulatory processes
Week 6 Oct 8 Group Presentations Preparation: Group working sessions to prepare for in-class presentations on Oct 15 and 22.
Week 7 Oct 15 Negotiating Values, Narratives, and Multiple Publics: Group presentations (Values Debate)
Week 8 Oct 22 Local Regulation Analysis: Group presentations
Week 9 Oct 29 Land Use Policy, Building Codes, and Property Rights: Zoning, growth management, densification, sustainability, energy/performance codes; Issues and challenges related to preservation and property rights
Week 10 Nov 5 Economics, Financing, and Incentives: Basics of financial mechanisms for inciting preservation (tax credits and syndication, TIF, tax abatement, easements, etc.); role of economics in evaluating heritage values and policy outcomes
Week 11 Nov 12 Evaluating Preservation Policy: Understanding the role of preservation in the context of justice and sustainability (such as displacement and gentrification, climate migration, labor economy, real estate trends, etc.); indicators of preservation success; data collection for policy evaluation
Week 12 Nov 19 Incentives Analysis: Group presentations
Week 13 Dec 3 Final Paper dialogue and Course Conclusions