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Historic Preservation

Preservation | Place | people  
How can historic preservation methods be incorporated with the creative use of personal narratives surrounding place to enhance the cultural vitality of communities ?
Our purpose is to show the intersection of story and place in Louisville, KY’s historic cultural landscapes.​

The Limitations of Historic Preservation Practice

Historic preservation is often disconnected from the communities its policies are meant to serve.  It is perceived that only when a precious structure linked to important history is on the verge of collapse, after years of dilapidation, do preservationists swoop in to save our historic structures.

Too often, historic preservation happens to communities instead of with ​communities.

The perception of preservation is that it is overbearing, too restrictive, elitist, and reactionary.  Preservation can be as simple as helping to recognize and retain those story sites that characterize Louisville's diverse neighborhoods.  
"Preservation does not have to be paired with gentrification, or absent from the poorest areas, or a contributor to the housing crisis. It can, in fact be a tool for securing more just communities. If preservationists truly care about creating dense cities and towns without pushing out the poor, they will have to offer a new model for saving both buildings and communities. Preservation has to be reconfigured as a social justice movement or else it will have lost its moral compass. Politics inheres in every choice humans make about what to preserve and how to preserve it. The historic preservation movement must be reconfigured as a key ally in a broader movement for social justice."
Max Page from Why Preservation Matters

The Potential of Historic Preservation

Storytelling, at its very core, spreads cultural knowledge.  By focusing on history, storytelling shares rich traditions.  By focusing on place, storytelling showcases community values about the cultural landscape and built environment in community.  Digital storytelling can amplify voice.  It can be broadcast to a broader audience.   It creates a digital archive of documentation.
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Change comes from within all communities.  When communities become the primary authors of their narratives, it creates a shift in power.  Personal stories are powerful.  They can have much more impact than a written policy.  They can also change minds, cultivate interest, and make change, especially for community members who may have lacked access to planners in the past.  Communities can tell preservationists what places are of cultural value.

When preservationists know sites that communities value, they are better able to provide guidance and support depending on the circumstances of the site.  When communities make their stories known to a larger audience, this shows that there is a need for private-citizen funding where preservation officials can offer support.  ​
 
Louisville StorySites seeks to do this kind of storytelling, and has laid the foundation for future community collaborations.  It asks the Louisville community, what places are important to you and why?

Historic Preservation has many tools in place, that when used by the community for the community, can make a lasting impact on the neighborhoods we live in. 

Local Resources

Louisville Metro Historic Preservation, Landmarks, and Overlay Districts
​University of Louisville Libraries Digital Archives
​Kentucky Heritage Council:  State Historic Preservation Office
​Preservation Kentucky
Vacant and Public Property Administration 

Local Contacts

Coming soon.  Please contact about specific inquiries.  

Cultural Sustainability and Other Resources

 Cultural Sustainability Assessment Toolkit created by Jenna Winton
  • For assessing the cultural sustainability of communities and using the findings from this research to strategically develop community-led cultural sustainability practices for implementation.
The Collaborative Digital Storytelling Hub created by Heather Gerhart
  • Seeks to expand the relevance and sustainability of digital storytelling by engaging key stakeholders in the effort to amplify community voice.
StoryCenter- Founders of the Digital Storytelling Movement
​Place Matters- a project by City Lore

A Guide to Louisville Historic Preservation Coming Soon
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