2020 Annual Meeting & Conference                          Thursday - Saturday, October 15-17

Preservation and Progress: 

2020 Preservation Delaware Annual Conference and Meeting

Since the passing of the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966, the field of historic preservation has evolved significantly in response to political, economic, environmental, and social shifts on a national and even global scale. With the ultimate goal of preserving historic resources for the public good, preservation professionals today are faced with a number of challenges and factors to consider, from threats or impacts to historic sites by development pressure, climate change, and sea level rise. At the same time, preservationists are reflecting on half-century of accomplishments, and  considering ways to better engage the public, provide better access to their research and findings, and to promote sustainability and diversity in the field.

This year’s multi-day conference, through a mix of local and regionally-recognized speakers, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, will focus on current challenges and opportunities in historic preservation in Delaware. We will examine the strong relationships between historic preservation, sustainability, and economic development, and also how climate change affects historic preservation approaches. In addition, we will explore how to best disseminate rich collections of preservation-related research in order to make historical literature more accessible to the general public. Lastly, we will explore the need to better recognize and preserve resources of underrepresented communities -- and how to make historic preservation more diverse and inclusive for all.