FORUM
Sessions

Wednesday
July 31st
Thursday
August 1st
Friday
August 2nd
Saturday
August 3rd
Sunday
August 4th
Concurrent educational sessions begin Friday, August 2nd.
Concurrent educational sessions begin Friday, August 2nd.
Day 3

10:15 am

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11:45 am

Location:

Oceana Salon AB

Historic Context Studies: Leveraging City Resources to Spark Community Connection

Historic Context Studies seek to document the history of underrepresented groups in a particular place and deepen community understanding and involvement in preservation. Thematic in nature, they dive into the history of a specific topic and result in the recommendation of buildings and sites that are eligible for listing locally or in the National Register. This session will use case studies from different cities who have recently completed a historic context to explore the different ways a context can be completed and highlight effective community engagement strategies to produce a historic context that has community support and buy in. The Certified Local Government (CLG) and the Underrepresented Communities grant programs are two great tools for funding these types of projects, but this session will also provide an example of a self-funded approach as well.

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Day 3

10:15 am

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11:45 am

Location:

Coral Salon C

Where’s the Money? A Layman’s Guide to Local, State, and Federal Tax Incentives

Local, state, federal, and private partners join together on this panel to explore the current opportunities and challenges with tax incentive programs across the country. The panel will discuss the different local, state, and federal tax incentives programs with a focus on lesser-known and utilized incentive strategies, especially rehabilitation tax credits and tax deductions via preservation easements. Presenters will offer tips and tricks to navigate and utilize tax incentives for preservation, including how to establish a historic easement, how to transfer development rights for tax credits, and how to navigate establishing a state level tax credit program.

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Day 3

10:15 am

-

11:45 am

Location:

Cypress

Creative Preservation as a Planning Tool

The Design & Preservation Rapid Assistance Team (DPRAT) was created by the American Planning Association’s Urban Design and Preservation Division to quickly support under-resourced communities and organizations in their efforts to collaboratively plan for the future with a focus on the urban design of the public realm and preservation. North Miami was chosen for the 2023 program as a unique set of issues of need public improvements to address climate change in a mid-century culturally diverse community. This session will present the findings of this collaborative effort with members of the community.

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Day 3

10:15 am

-

11:45 am

Location:

Coral Salon DE

Crafting Effective Historic Design Guidelines

Learn how to create or update effective historic design guidelines for your commission. This session will focus on assembling a diverse stakeholder group, hiring a qualified consultant, and coordinating public outreach. The session will feature case studies of recently-published design guidelines from Architectural Heritage Consultants, Thomason & Associates, and others from around the country.

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Day 3

10:15 am

-

11:45 am

Location:

Gardenia

Flooding in Florida: The Bellwether of Climate Change

The impacts of flooding and intense storms are increasing in prevalence while property owners and communities try to balance the benefits and challenges of resilience and historic preservation. Using Florida’s inland and coastal communities as case studies on the leading edge of climate change impacts, this session will delve into disaster planning and flood adaptation. Resources from the National Park Service, multiple statewide initiatives, and local mitigation efforts will prepare preservation commissions and leaders to translate flood management and hazard mitigation language into preservation best practices in their communities. Guidance will include scalable mitigation measures for individual properties and historic communities.

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Day 3

10:15 am

-

11:45 am

Location:

Coral Salon AB

NAPC Messaging Guide Roundtable: Stories, Tips, and Lessons from the Field

Based on your input from FORUM 2022, the NAPC Messaging Guide for Local Preservation Programs offers tips, talking points, and ready-to-use text to help local preservation commissions and staff communicate about your work. We released the guide in 2023 after thorough review and contributions by dozens of preservationists nationwide. Now it’s time to check in. If you’ve used the messaging guide, join colleagues to compare notes: What works for you? What doesn’t? Why or why not? If you haven’t used the guide yet, join us to learn how you can use it to make your work easier and more effective.

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Day 3

1:15 pm

-

2:45 pm

Location:

Coral Salon C

Making Your Case: Taking Your Fundraising Proposal to a Successful Project

Historic Preservation preserves historical, archaeological, and cultural places. As part of the preservation toolkit that includes identification, documentation, education, interpretation, celebration, and protection, fundraising must be a major component. Fundraising facilitates the other components. Many governmental entities offer financial incentives from grants, to tax exemptions, to tax credits. The incentives require effective communication by applicants and the ability to leverage private dollars with those public incentives. Correspondingly, funders and reviewers at all levels must play strong roles, supporting and aiding their constituents. This session will take participants through the fundraising and implementation process in an engaging and interactive session.

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Day 3

1:15 pm

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2:45 pm

Location:

Cypress

Regional Approaches to Preservation Planning

Regional Planning Agencies (RPAs) are an important link between local governments, state agencies, and community-based organizations. On this panel, three RPAs in coastal, metropolitan, and rural regions of Massachusetts will share how they take different approaches to incorporating historic preservation into the broader objectives of their agencies. Together, they will explain how RPAs function, how local preservation staff and commissioners can build relationships with RPAs, and how RPAs can meaningfully help advance local preservation planning goals. The Local Government Programs Coordinator at the Massachusetts SHPO will moderate the subsequent discussion about how RPAs support efforts to integrate historic preservation into local, regional, and state planning.

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Day 3

1:15 pm

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2:45 pm

Location:

Coral Salon C

How Historic Development Patterns Impact Development Today: The Town of Palm Beach Case Study

The Town of Palm Beach has a rich history of people and place, but its historic development patterns have as much an impact on today's development patterns as any other factor. As part of the Town's zoning code update, the first in 50 years, an in-depth study and analysis of the Town's historic plats has been performed. The plats tell the story of Palm Beach's past and present. This session will present the project's findings and educate attendees on how past development patterns can influence present and future land use decisions.

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Day 3

1:15 pm

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2:45 pm

Location:

Oceana Salon AB

The Secretary of the Interior's Treatment Standards and Guidelines: What's the Current Conversation?

In response to the ongoing discussion of the efficacy and application of the Secretary’s Standards, NCSHPO established a working group in March 2023. The purpose of the group is to examine the Standards, alongside the perspectives of other stakeholders, to provide the preservation community with a carefully considered and inclusive opinion of the Standards. This session will engage panelists to discuss their knowledge and experiences regarding the Standards. Combining the SHPO experiences with the broader conversation among other key practitioners of the Standards is essential to understanding how to move forward and will provide a valuable perspective.

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Day 3

1:15 pm

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2:45 pm

Location:

Coral Salon DE

Historic Resources and the Americans with Disabilities Act – Alterations, Code-Compliance, and Exemptions

How do ADA regulations interact with state and local building codes when it comes to historic properties? Presenters will discuss the minimum requirements for ADA compliance, creative alternatives to code compliance, and code exemptions, using case studies from across the state of Florida. Audiences will interact with Federal, State, and private sector preservationists to understand how ADA regulations are treated at each level. This session demonstrates how to balance the needs for accessible spaces and programming with the needs of preserving historic and cultural resources.

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Day 3

1:15 pm

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2:45 pm

Location:

Coral Salon AB

Preservation Equity Roundtable

"This roundtable is a continuation of the FORUM 2022 session, Integrating and Centering Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Local Government Preservation Programs. Following FORUM 2022, the session panelists and others have continued the conversation by organizing a recurring virtual Preservation Equity Roundtable. Currently the virtual roundtable has on average 25-30 participants where a different topic related to equity in historic preservation is discussed at each meeting. Panelists will facilitate the roundtable with prepared topics and questions. Participants will gain practical guidance on how to apply the ideas discussed to help integrate equity, diversity, and inclusion in local preservation work. "

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Day 3

3:00 pm

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4:30 pm

Location:

Coral Salon AB

Signs of the Times Trivia

Need a break from sessions? Get your time machines ready and come play trivia. This fun (and educational!) trivia game will test your knowledge of preservation’s past as well as your ability to predict its future. Test yourself against your colleagues as you answer questions about architectural styles, historic places, significant moments in history, and more. You’ll need a smartphone, laptop, or tablet to submit answers, but you can just observe if you’re not feeling competitive. There will be prizes- good luck!

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Day 3

3:00 pm

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4:30 pm

Location:

Cypress

Accessing Your Support Systems--How Main Streets and CLG Programs Work Together

This session highlights how the Certified Local Government (CLG) and Main Street programs collaborate in Florida. Focus would be on how the Main Street program serves as a gateway towards CLG, how the programs complement one another, and how the incorporation of both programs within Florida's Bureau of Historic Preservation improves support for historic preservation at the local level. Through a case study, this session will also address the topics of grant applications, advocacy vs. regulation, and outreach.

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Day 3

3:00 pm

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4:30 pm

Location:

Coral Salon DE

Adaptation Strategies for All

Historic buildings are not just landmarked buildings with designated historical significance; they can be any older building, neighborhood, or community institution worthy of preservation. Presenters will discuss projects in Florida, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina that practiced equitable approaches to climate change issues associated with flooding, high winds, and heat. These case studies demonstrate diverse community engagement methods that helped translate the layers of regulatory programs. In addition, attendees will learn how empowering tenants and property owners with various adaptation strategies is equally important as addressing alternatives to expensive structural modifications.

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Day 3

3:00 pm

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4:30 pm

Location:

Gardenia

Collaborate and Listen: Working with Nonprofits to Make a Difference in their Communities

Preservation Commissions and Architectural Review Boards work to protect their community’s heritage while working to ensure that historic preservation is a piece of building healthy, diverse, economically sound neighborhoods. This is a heavy lift – and true preservation isn’t done in a silo! It requires many voices and perspectives. During this session learn from communities that have collaborated with other organizations, particularly nonprofits, to best serve their communities. Learn how you can reach out to other organizations to broaden the impact of your Commission’s work.

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Day 3

3:00 pm

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4:30 pm

Location:

Coral Salon C

Historic Preservation Workforce: Current and Future

Historic preservation professionals drive the success of government historic preservation offices, non-profits, historic preservation commissions, and CRM firms. This session will provide an overview of the results of a recently completed National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers study on workforce issues, and will engage other preservation professionals in a discussion on the study’s findings, as well as individualized experiences, and possible solutions and future actions. Questions to explore include the challenges faced by those hiring, retaining or recruiting staff, planning for the future, as well as academic and other professional pipelines for preservation professionals.

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Day 3

3:00 pm

-

4:30 pm

Location:

Oceana Salon AB

Substitute Materials on Historic Building Exteriors: Evaluation and Considerations for Use

"Join the National Park Service for a presentation on the application of Preservation Brief 16: The Use of Substitute Materials on Historic Building Exteriors, presented by Technical Preservation Services. This will cover the recent guidance updates published in October 2023, including considerations for the appropriate use of substitute materials with case study examples. The October 2023 guidance provides additional direction as well as technical preservation information on when a different material than the historic one may be appropriately used to replace a deteriorated or missing historic feature, consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The guidance on the use of substitute materials was updated to be more consistent with other NPS guidance and to ensure that it continues to reflect current and best practices. Revised guidance takes into account factors such as availability, performance, location/visibility, code requirements, and sustainability/resilience of the proposed new and historic materials or features. The guidance continues to recognize that flexibility may sometimes be needed when it comes to new and replacement materials as part of a historic rehabilitation project."

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Day 4

8:30 am

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10:00 am

Magic Happens When You Give Community A Voice

All preservationists want to engage a diverse community in the historic preservation planning process. But how? In Des Moines, we put outreach components for the city-wide historic preservation plan (the Plan) in the hands of community members, yielding input that led to a refreshing and innovative approach to preservation. In this session, hear from the Plan team, including those that conducted the outreach, to learn about the establishment of a paid Outreach Coordinator Cohort, initial orientation sessions with the group, tools utilized, and lessons learned.

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Day 4

8:30 am

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10:00 am

Policy, Potholes, and Place: A Preservation Playbook

Historic Preservation is primarily about places. How we protect them, use them, and share their stories. Learning from community members what places they value helps prioritize the protection of those places. Whether those places are formally designated as historic or just understood by the community to be so, protecting them contributes to community identity and resilience and helps us understand our own place in the built environment. This session will share the “why places matter” perspective from a community viewpoint. How do we communicate preservation as a priority equal to fixing potholes and adapting to climate change?

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Day 4

8:30 am

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10:00 am

Affordable Housing: The Role of Historic Preservation

The lack of affordable housing is a national crisis impacting communities of all sizes. Solving this crisis will require innovative policies as well as collaboration among governments, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector. Preservation can and should be part of the affordable housing solution. By preserving existing affordable housing in older neighborhoods and creating new units through the rehabilitation of vacant and underused spaces, preservation has an important role to play in addressing the affordable housing crisis. This session will identify key challenges and opportunities for preservation advocates and allies who are seeking to retain existing affordable housing in older buildings and create new units through adaptive use. It outlines opportunities to accelerate the production of new affordable housing through rehabilitation and highlights ideas to re-position preservation in policy debates as an effective strategy to help address the need to preserve and create affordable housing.

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Day 4

8:30 am

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10:00 am

Updates from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Legal Advocacy Team

Join attorneys from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for a discussion about recent court cases and legislation that impacts state and local historic preservation laws.

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Day 4

8:30 am

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10:00 am

Partners in Preservation: Working with Your Project Consultant

Making the decision to hire a consultant represents a commitment of resources including money, time and your organization’s credibility. In this session you will learn what a consultant needs from you and in turn what the consultant’s role and responsibilities are. Experienced panelists representing the client, consultant and grant manager perspectives will share tips about the value of establishing and maintaining trust, clear and regular communication, and sustaining a commitment to the project goals for the life of the contract. Learn how you can foster a working relationship with your consultant, so your project is one the entire team considers a smashing success.

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Day 4

8:30 am

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10:00 am

Climate Change and Vulnerability Assessments: Considering Cultural and Archaeological Sites

The state of Florida is on the frontlines of climate change. Hurricanes, King Tides, and coastal erosion are devastating our shared cultural heritage. What is lost as these sites are destroyed? This session will focus on efforts across the state of Florida to prepare community-centered vulnerability assessments that consider impacts to cultural resources including cemeteries, historic buildings, and archaeological sites. Panelists will explore community engagement, resilience, and the documentation of climate impacts to cultural resources. Specific examples from throughout Florida will showcase the achievements of preservation-minded local governments, and present options for dealing with the challenges of the future.

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Day 4

10:15 am

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11:45 am

Placemaking That Honors History- Town of Jupiter’s Approach to Amplify Historic and Archaeological Preservation

The Town of Jupiter is known as a newly developed, high-end community with beautiful beaches, the river, and the Intracoastal Waterway. While home to Palm Beach County’s iconic 1860 Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, many newcomers have little knowledge of the area's 5,000 years of prehistory and history. Come learn about how the Town of Jupiter incentivizes preservation, incorporates history into new development and redevelopment, preserves public sites and historic buildings to address climate change, and partners with the Loxahatchee River Historical Society to advocate and educate its residents and the public.

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Day 4

10:15 am

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11:45 am

Practical Solutions to Legal Issues for Commissions

NAPC's Commission Assistance & Mentoring Program (CAMP) Legal Trainers will share their thoughts on current and developing legal issues that impact historic preservation commissions. The format of this session is designed to engage participants in sharing legal issues faced by their commissions and discussing approaches that can be used to address these challenges. Examples of topics may include economic hardship and affordability issues, blight and eminent domain, receivership, affirmative maintenance and demolition by neglect, owner consent provisions, religious liberty issues, impartiality of decision makers, preservation procedures and due process, complying with sunshine laws, decision making around resilience projects, and potential de-designation of properties at risk for climate change.

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Day 4

10:15 am

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11:45 am

With the People: Effective Engagement for Impactful Preservation

This session will explore public engagement strategies focused on building and supporting all aspects of local preservation programs: policy development, strategic planning, survey and designation, capacity building, and community empowerment. Thinking beyond standard notifications and online surveys, this session will inspire audience members to think critically about what meaningful public engagement looks like and how purposeful outreach can support more equitable, inclusive, and effective preservation programs.

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Day 4

10:15 am

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11:45 am

The Life Cycle and Care of Traditional Materials

Difficult decisions regarding maintenance, repair, or replacement of traditional materials are often constrained by conflicting preservation goals, limited resources, and an unpredictable climate. A basic understanding of how traditional building materials of wood, stone, lime, clay masonry, and metals are first created and then destroyed by natural and human intervention can inform these difficult decisions. This session will focus on understanding the impact of various forms of moisture (humidity, rain, and flooding) and on developing effective strategies to prevent or mitigate damage to historic materials

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Day 4

10:15 am

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11:45 am

Adaptive Reuse of Historic Buildings Throughout Florida

Journeying from the Florida Panhandle to the enchanting heart of the Everglades, this presentation delves into the captivating narratives of seven (7) adaptive reuse case studies. These examples tell the story of transformation, new life, and results that are both functional and operational. Change and growth is inevitable, but we can certainly direct and manage this change for the betterment of the community by preserving historic buildings. Many of these historic properties anchor neighborhoods and serve as catalyst for invenstment in the community.

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Day 4

10:15 am

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11:45 am

Historic Resource Surveys: An Important Planning Tool

Historic Resource Surveys act as a planning tool to provide data to make informed decisions, they document the history of a place, and they contribute to a repository of historical information. This session will teach attendees how to conduct a survey, and why surveys are important. The session will highlight the community of Brownsville in Miami. Here an ongoing historic resources survey has revealed Miami’s local history of racial zoning and housing discrimination and the specific ways that it shaped this community. These lessons are relevant today as local planners contemplate zoning and land use changes for the neighborhood.

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Day 4

1:15 pm

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2:45 pm

Guiding Change: Developing Design Guidelines for Contemporary Challenges

Do your commission’s design guidelines reflect your preservation priorities? Guidelines are a primary tool of historic preservation commissions, key to retaining a community’s historic character. But they can also be a tool for creating sustainable, equitable, and resilient communities. Come hear case studies from communities that recently developed guidelines to address their preservation concerns. From public engagement to implementation, see ways that communities are using guidelines to guide change.

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Day 4

1:15 pm

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2:45 pm

Using Technology to Further Connections in Historic Preservation

This session will highlight the use of technology to further the connection pedestrians have to historic preservation through case studies in two cities. The City of Lincoln digitized roughly 14,000 historic property surveys over a ten-year process. Advancements in technology helped to shape the resulting online, publicly accessible database of information on historic sites. From its beginning as a simple StoryMap to its current interactive form in Experience Builder, a host of GIS software has been used along the way to create Lincoln's historic preservation website. In Stillwater, MN heritage tourism is a major part of the local economy. This has resulted in three independent but related digital interpretive initiatives: an interactive history map including site histories and historic map overlays, a geofenced tour app, and more than 70 QR code signs providing direct access to digital content about specific sites. These efforts harnessed innovative technology, organizational partnerships, and passionate volunteers to expand on the city’s traditional neighborhood survey studies. We’ll share our process, challenges, early results, and ideas for implementing similar collaborative efforts in your community.

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Day 4

1:15 pm

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2:45 pm

Leveraging the Voice of the Community through Preservation

This panel session will share examples of local advocates and government programs working on community-informed preservation projects. Presented work will include National Register nominations, resource surveys, grant funded projects, community outreach, and site recognition and local designation processes. Communities highlighted will include historically excluded rural communities, those impacted by transportation and development projects, and communities dealing with the impact of past inequitable policy decisions. Attendees will gain a heightened awareness of the importance of community engagement and developing preservation goals in response to community needs, as well as learn how to leverage the story of place and community voice.

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Day 4

1:15 pm

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2:45 pm

Identifying, Engaging, and Recognizing Underrepresented Communities

Since 2016, the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia has made identification, research, survey, and recognition of historically African American neighborhoods/communities one of its top priorities. Through its unique research grant program, updates of reconnaissance level architectural surveys, preparation of National Register nominations, grant funding, and community engagement, Virginia Beach has established a successful program to begin to address the disparity in the City's understanding, appreciation and recognition of these underrepresented resources. Virginia Beach's preservation planners and one of their key historic resource management firms will discuss their program and provide insights on implementation of similar initiatives in your community.

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Day 4

1:15 pm

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2:45 pm

How to Start and Manage a Historic Preservation Easement Program

One way to legally protect historic properties from unwanted changes is to voluntarily place a historic preservation easement on the property. This tool became a more common practice for property owners in the middle to late 20th century, but that hasn’t meant all easement holding organizations have well-established policies and procedures for accepting and monitoring preservation easements or fulfilling other responsibilities for them. Come learn from various organizations that have established and run preservation easement programs.

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Day 4

3:00 pm

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4:30 pm

Reserving Preservation’s Seat at the Table: Preparing Historic Preservation Commissions for Federal Projects

Historic Preservation Commissions (HPC) have a lot to offer in the way of expertise and knowledge of a community's history and buildings. This session will discuss the role that the HPC can play in the process, including how to engage with federal agencies and State Historic Preservation Offices during consultation and mitigation for a federal project. Presenters will provide real world examples of HPCs planning activities and explain how this allowed for an active role during the Section 106 process resulting in positive preservation outcomes.

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Day 4

3:00 pm

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4:30 pm

Strengthening and Revitalizing Significant Civil Rights Movement Sites and Communities in Montgomery, Alabama

The City of Montogmery is preparing for the 60th anniversary of the voting rights marches in 2025; meanwhile, communities along the Selma-Montogmerny National Historic Trail are experiencing ongoing revitalization. Learn about the City of Montgomery’s community engagement, development plans, and historic preservation along the Trail, including a grant-funded oral history project examining the impact of Alabama’s intentional placement of a highway interchange within the Peacock Tract community, proposed streetscape improvements and beautification, and using historic preservation to foreground intangible heritage through the potential designation of a cultural district—a first for the city.

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Day 4

3:00 pm

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4:30 pm

Young Preservationists' Efforts to Preserve Their Rapidly Changing Neighborhood

The Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association (THJCA) is a resident-based and community-led nonprofit. This session will feature youth from THJCA who have been researching and telling the history of their historic Black neighborhood and its once thriving Black Business District on Central Avenue. Students will present on their projects, perspectives, and ideas exemplifying the importance of including youth for successful and sustainable historic preservation efforts. Students worked with partners from the University, Housing Authority, History Center, and Community to actualize their visions and learn about the vibrant and endangered history of their rapidly changing neighborhood.

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Day 4

3:00 pm

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4:30 pm

Preservation and Progress: Denver's Design Review Strategies

In this session join Denver Landmark Design Review staff as we discuss how our collaborative efforts with internal and external partners can strike a balance between preserving and protecting our heritage and accommodate modern needs. Our discussion will encompass recent process enhancements and our utilization of zoning tools to facilitate contextual design within Denver's historic districts. Key topics will include the effective implementation of Administrative Adjustments (AAs), updates to application checklists, the Site Development Plan (SDP) review process, addressing Neglected and Derelict Buildings (NADB), and the evolution of our Design Guidelines.

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Day 4

3:00 pm

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4:30 pm

In Plain Sight: Documenting Underrepresented Communities

The National Park Service’s Underrepresented Communities Grant Program has been a pivotal tool in documenting untold stories in our existing National Register nominations and in identifying and listing new nominations. This session brings together representatives from three grant awards, a consultant who has worked on one of the grant projects, and a representative of the National Park Service, to discuss their representative projects. Discussion points include the impact of the projects for future research and documentation, and offer field-tested advice for preparing projects for submittal to the Underrepresented Communities Grant Program.

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Day 5

8:30 am

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9:30 am

Success in the MiMo "Miami Modern" Commercial Historic District

MiMo on BiBo - here Miami Modern architecture plays out in motels and low-slung commercial buildings along the upper Biscayne Boulevard (BiBo) corridor. It was exuberant and playful in the 1950s and 1960s, with neon signs, pastel paint colors, decorative pylons and geometric patterns. Between the 1970s and the early 2000s, investment stopped, and the buildings were protected by their decay. Learn how visionary and tenacious preservation advocates successfully lobbied for Miami’s first commercial historic district, and how preservation incentives have resulted in investment being funneled into historic restoration in the Upper Eastside.

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Day 5

8:30 am

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9:30 am

Millions for “Clean Preservation”: USEPA Brownfields and Historic Preservation After the Infrastructure Bill: An Unlikely Funding Source for Preservation

The US EPA Brownfields Program has grown steadily over the last 30 years with significant increases in funding from the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress. Though the term Brownfields often conjures up images of dry cleaners and gas stations, vacant or underused buildings like former schools, hotels, or commercial/industrial facilities also meet this definition. Many of these vacant and underused buildings are historic or eligible for historic designation and most need remediation of lead and asbestos to ready them for new uses. These buildings represent a powerful opportunity to promote dense, walkable, affordable, sustainable development in established communities while preserving historic resources and character. This session will discuss the EPA Brownfields Program, the funding available and how to apply, and show examples of different ways the Program can boost your community’s planning and preservation efforts with real-world examples. Presenters will demonstrate the versatility of funding and that in addition to clean up and assessment dollars, Brownfield monies can be used for planning, outreach, and reaching your communities most sensitive and historically underserved populations.

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Day 5

8:30 am

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9:30 am

Streetside Historic Districts - Preservation "Lite" 5 Years Later

Raleigh’s Glenwood-Brooklyn National Register District was experiencing rapid change, including multiple demolitions and insensitive infill. Development pressure, along with a citywide rezoning project, led concerned residents to pursue local historic designation. The neighborhood’s Streetside Historic District was implemented in April 2016 as the City's first “lite” historic district, where COA review is limited to specific zones as viewed from the street. This session will provide a review of the first five+ years of Streetside regulation, lessons learned, and next steps featuring panelists from City staff and a neighborhood resident/Commission member.

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Day 5

9:45 am

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10:45 am

Water You Waiting For? Using Digital Tools for Disaster Planning and Resilience in Historic Preservation

Nationwide, historic and cultural resources are becoming increasingly threatened by natural disasters, particularly flooding events. This session will focus on the ways that preservationists can use digital tools for disaster planning and resilience, as well as post-disaster recovery. Digital tools and technologies, such as architectural surveying applications, 3D laser scanning, and GIS databases, are essential methods for documenting and creating inventories of threatened resources. They can also be a useful way to structure preservation design guidelines. Digital tools can also stimulate public engagement in preservation by educating communities on available resources and best practices for disaster resilience.

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Day 5

9:45 am

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10:45 am

Uncovering Dubuque's Black Heritage

The City of Dubuque, Iowa shares their process, methodology and findings for uncovering the rich history of Black Dubuquers living within a historically White community. It’s a story of migration, working families, the impacts of slavery in the north, celebrated performers, business people, persevering pioneers, working people, caring doctors, and brave activists. A two-year long process to tell a more complete history of this Mississippi River city from 1830-1980 reveals stories of challenge, progress, resiliency and tragedy. A multiple property document, GIS storymap, genealogy approach, engagement process and a new mindset was required to Uncover Dubuque’s Black Heritage.

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Day 5

9:45 am

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10:45 am

Advocacy 101

Designing, organizing, implementing and sustaining an advocacy campaign is complex, but it is necessary if we want to influence the levers of power and save important places. This session will provide an in depth review on how to develop advocacy campaigns to preserve and protect historic and cultural resources. Attendees will learn about a variety of guidelines, strategies and tactics to use in successful advocacy efforts. How can we convince those who have decision making authority to prioritize preservation? What does a ground up advocacy campaign entail? Who can help us organize and be successful? How do we win? These are a few of the questions that will be addressed during this presentation.

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Day 5

11:00 am

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12:00 pm

Opa-locka's Dream of Araby and a Preservation Rebirth

As the Miami-Dade city of Opa-locka is nearing a centennial celebration in 2026, leaders within the community are coming together to find solutions to a much-neglected topic: preservation and restoration. With the largest centralized inventory of Moorish Revival architecture in North America, several of which are listed on the National Register, the history of the Arabian Nights vision is beginning to resurface. Learn more about current historic home restorations, marker destinations, educational installations, as well as the long overdue rehabilitation of the iconic landmark, the Opa-locka Administration Building.

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Day 5

11:00 am

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12:00 pm

Secret Sauce for a Successful Federal Grant

Join the National Park Service staff to learn of the many opportunities now available from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). With the most programs, and the most funding in the history of the HPF, now is the time to take advantage of these competitive grant programs. From Civil Rights to support of Tribal projects, and from listings of sites in underrepresented communities to preservation of rural sites, this session will outline the details of each program and give advice on applying for federal grant funds.

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Day 5

11:00 am

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12:00 pm

How Do You Spell Outreach? F-U-N

Successful outreach brings awareness and, ultimately, support for historic preservation in your community. Beyond the coffee table book or walking tour, what ways are there to engage the public? Finding fun and unique methods to educate your community can get them to learn without realizing they are doing so. At this session, find out how to use your community's culture to get the preservation message out. Presenters will share some examples of fun ways to engage audiences and create ideas that might work in your community.

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The Call for Session Proposals is now open for FORUM 2026: Preservation Currents, taking place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 22–26, 2026!

The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions' mission of helping to build strong local preservation programs and leaders through education, training and advocacy is the driving force behind FORUM, the only national conference focused on the issues facing local historic preservation boards and commissions. FORUM includes dozens of educational sessions and discussion panels, mobile workshops and tours, and five days of non-stop networking for historic preservation commissioners, staff and volunteers representing local, state and national organizations and government agencies.We are currently seeking proposals for educational sessions, panels, and roundtables from individuals working in historic preservation and related fields. This is your chance to share your experience, challenges, and successes with an engaged and enthusiastic audience.

‍SUBMISSION DEADLINE: October 6, 2025

What makes FORUM special?
‍Attendees consistently tell us that sessions led by people working on the ground—local commission staff, volunteers, consultants, and advocates—are what make FORUM their favorite conference. Your story could be just what someone else needs to hear.

‍Content and Themes of Interest
‍While there are no formal tracks, proposals that align with the following themes are especially encouraged:
- Preservation on the Front Lines
- Preparing Communities for TomorrowHistoric Preservation for All
- Building Vibrant Communities Through Preservation
- Preservation Foundations

Download New Voices PresentationsInstructions for Submitting a ProposalProposal Form WorksheetProposal Form
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