Michigan Statewide Historic Preservation Plan 2020-2025

Arnold, Amy

Introduction: "The start of a new decade in 2020 signaled the beginning of a new era for historic preservation in Michigan. What will the new era look like? A series of public planning workshops were held in spring 2019, and when asked to prioritize the state's preservation goals for the next five years, participants chose education as the top priority. A recurring reason for targeting education was to help people understand the emotional value of preservation to increase investment in the reuse and protection of historic resources. To that end, planning workshop participants supported education with a twist. Rather than just promoting guides and the rules and regulations associated with preservation programs, they thought there should be a renewed concertation on connecting people and places by telling Michigan's story to gain more empathy for historic sites. Another issue of high importance to workshop participants was reaching out to a broader audience. Michigan's historic preservation community should work to become more inclusive of diverse populations. It should do more to reach out to the regions of the state that have been underserved in the past. Increasing the use of technology as a means of sharing information about historic resources and the establishment of new partnerships to help bring historic preservation into the mainstream of decision-making throughout the state were also singled out as important areas of concentration. Over the past decade, there was a growing acceptance of the importance of historic preservation in the creation of vibrant, popular communities where people what to live and work. Michigan's preservation community should acknowledge this success. The hard work of those that helped establish this new field since its beginnings in 1966 and those that battled misinformation supported new programs was invaluable. But in Michigan, the preservation field is at a new stage and no longer needs to be on the defensive. Preservation now has a proven track record - and it is a good one. As a component of local planning it has been effective in increasing property values, returning unused buildings to the tax rolls, providing sustainable solutions for new development, and creating places where both young and old want to be. It is time to roll up our sleeves and seize hold of this opportunity to recreate historic preservation in Michigan for the twenty-first century. Working together, we can use the next five years to redefine the role of historic preservation in the state to ensure it remains relevant to Michigan's future by encompassing issues of sustainability, diversity, and technology. This plan should serve as the framework for moving historic preservation forward. It is meant to be flexible enough to be used at all levels of planning by a wide range of organizations and agencies responsible for the economic development, history, and the aesthetics of Michigan's communities and the stewardship of the state's history." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Michigan Statewide Historic Preservation Plan 2020-2025

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