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Tegan
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I attended the Michigan Historic Preservation Network Annual Conference in Grand Rapids. Now I know that the people truly interested in preservation on here are scarce, but hear me out a moment.
Many of the workshops dealt with issues like Grass Roots Advocacy, using Green methods to rehabilitate a building, bringing a neglected neighborhood out of drug war territory and into quiet residential living, etc.
The workshop is attended by, but not solely intended for preservation students and professionals. Many of the home owners, realtors, architects, and organization representatives have very little knowledge about preservation and sustainability techniques, but leave with a greater sense of possibility.
Guess how many people from Genesee County attended?
Three. Myself, and Jim & Jane Richardson from Salem Housing. I know this because I read through the entire participants list and made sure. BTW, I spoke with Jane, who attends these and other affordable housing conferences. Great woman. Glad to have her on the side of good.
Don't you think someone from Flint's illustrious Historic District Commission might have attended? Maybe someone from Uptown Developments, since they are doing so much work on old buildings downtown and actually worked with the SHPO on First Street Lofts? Maybe any of the architects around here, or some realtors?
Nope.
Just to give you an idea of what everyone missed, here are a few gems from the grass roots advocacy workshop, said by an older woman who lives and works in the neighborhood:
1. "We had to deal with people accusing us of gentrification, but I think just thinking of it as racial diversity sells diversity short. We also have to think of financial diversity, gender diversity, sexual diversity, age diversity, and when you tour the neighborhood, I think you'll find that we've hit all of those issues quite well."
2. The two keys to grass roots preservation advocacy: ALWAYS fight fair, and be proactive vs. reactive.
3. "Houses are not the problem, the people responsible for them are the problem. When a house is PROPERLY closed up, it makes for a very quiet neighborhood. Just having an empty space where a house once was doesn't help the neighborhood much."
A list of the conference participants, as well as the speakers, are available online at www.mhpn.org under "network services and programs." The conference brochure is still available too.
You can see pictures of the conference and a blog about it also at www.myspace.com/preservationgenesee |
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"Preservationists are the only people in the world who are invariably confirmed in their wisdom after the fact." - John Kenneth Galbraith |
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Sat May 23, 2009 10:58 am |
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