Take in 300 years of architectural history as you cruise Providence’s waterways! This 90-minute boat tour, led by the Providence Preservation Society, highlights the stories, sightlines, and subtle details that define Providence. From the most eye-catching landmarks on the city skyline to hidden architectural gems, you’ll discover historic Providence from the best seat in town!
On Thursday, July 23, we’ll present Bite-Sized Preservation: Historic Districts 101 to illuminate the differences between local and national historic districts. It is confusing — we know! Why are districts under local preservation protection and districts on the National Register both called “historic districts”?? We’ve invited colleagues from the city and state to help us iron […]
“I Was Asked to Stand” educates and empowers us to understand the cause and possible solutions to the disparity in the lack of representation, documentation, and acknowledgment of the great works of women and diverse designers. Pascale’s presentation focuses on the history of the problems, how we can proactively change architecture and design, and future […]
Who “authorizes” cultural heritage and decides what places are worth protecting and celebrating? How are these decisions made and whose histories do they preserve? This panel discussion will explore the formal preservation systems currently in place and how they work for and against communities. Our guests will offer insight on how preservation works at the […]
Who shows up to public meetings? Whose interests are they advocating for? And how do decisions made by the few shape the social and political fabric of our communities? This talk discusses how neighborhood participation in the housing permitting process exacerbates and reproduces existing inequalities, limits the housing supply, and contributes to the current affordable […]
Many regard the preservation field as being in the midst of a relevancy crisis — its systems outdated, its practices exclusionary, and its practitioners out of touch. In order for preservation to become more accessible and relevant to more communities and to survive into the future, deep change is necessary. But can we reform preservation or do […]
Launched in December 2019, @hoodmidcenturymodern catapulted to fame as Instagram’s leading Black voice in architecture. HOOD CENTURY fills an industry gap as a preservation society for the streets, centering communities traditionally excluded from the conversation. This is preservation for us, by us. With HOOD CENTURY, Jerald Cooper utilizes pop culture and classic hip-hop imagery from an architectural and […]
On Thursday, November 19, we’ll present Bite-Sized Preservation: Climate Justice and Preservation, a look at where environmentalism and historic preservation intersect. Providence attracted national attention with the City’s release of a climate justice plan in fall 2019. Our Director of Preservation, Rachel Robinson, will speak with Leah Bamberger, the City of Providence’s Director of Sustainability, to learn how the plan is […]
More than 6,000 pedestrians are getting killed every year on American streets, representing an enormous 50 percent increase from the first part of the decade. Angie Schmitt, the author of the new book Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Crisis of Pedestrian Deaths in America will talk about the social trends that are putting people at risk. […]
Brent Runyon, Executive Director of the Providence Preservation Society, will reflect on all we’ve heard and discussed over the course of the 2020 Providence Symposium and offer his thoughts on how PPS can affect positive change. PPS has participated in community life for over 60 years, and it’s never been more important to ask ourselves, whose […]
