Preservation 2030

conference panels

Saturday, March 8, 2008
8:30am-6:15pm
Swayduck Auditorium, The New School
65 Fifth Avenue

8:30am-9:30am
Registration and Coffee

9:30am-10:45am
PlaNYC2030
Keynote Address by Keynote address by Rohit Aggarwala, director, Mayor's Office of Long-term Planning & Sustainability

This year’s Conference keynote address will be delivered by Rohit Aggarwala, director of the New York City Department of Long-term Planning and Sustainability. As director, Mr. Aggarwala has been a key author of the Bloomberg administration’s PlaNYC 2030. He will present the plan in detail, specifically how it addresses the intersection of population growth, new construction and the character of existing neighborhoods. Special attention will be given to the portions of the Plan that already incorporate preservation principles – like the Housing section’s “Initiative 5,” which seeks to adapt outdated buildings to new uses – and Mr. Aggarwala will be asked to address additional ways to use preservation principles in guiding development.

This year’s keynote will be followed by a roundtable discussion featuring several planning and land use experts who will discuss the ideas raised in the keynote. How can the public continue to help shape the plan now that the public comment period has ended? What are the broader implications of the commitment to ‘green development’ for older buildings? Such questions will allow us to continue the dialogue about PlaNYC and highlight important points that will be addressed in the conference’s later panels. HDC’s xecutive Director Simeon Bankoff will moderate this panel with respondents Peg Breen, president of the New York Landmarks Conservancy; Fred Siegel, professor of history at the Cooper Union; and Anthony C. Wood, author of Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City’s Landmarks.

11am-12:30pm
SURVIVING THE BUILDING BOOM: URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE FUTURE
Land in New York City is being redeveloped at an enormous rate. In urban areas of the city, out-of-scale development threatens many historic neighborhoods. Still, PlaNYC shows the need to accommodate many more people in the coming years. How can these urban areas retain their historic character while providing new housing and services?

A diverse group of panelists will address these issues, including Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation; Brad Lander, Director of the Pratt Center for Community Development; and Michael Rebic, property manager for the Episcopal Diocese of New York.

12:45-1:45pm
Lunch
In addition to its impressive array of restaurants, the neighborhood surrounding The New School is rife with individual landmarks and historic districts, including East 17th Street/Irving Place, Ladies’ Mile and Greenwich Village. A list of places to eat will be available at Registration, and literature for self-guided tours of the area will also be on hand.

2pm-3:30pm
BUILDING IT OUT: SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE FUTURE
The suburban areas of the city are facing different problems than their urban counterparts. Neighborhoods that never expected to face major development pressures are now seeing properties torn down, subdivided and whole communities transformed. With lower density, these areas will expect to receive many new residents in the coming decades and how they accommodate them is a big question. How can preservation play an integral role in preserving the low-rise character of many of these communities?

This panel will feature presentations by HDC President and planner Paul Graziano, John Shapiro of Phillips Preiss Shapiro Associates, and Susan Seigel, former executive director of the Flatbush Development Corporation.

3:45pm-5:15pm
TOOLS OF THE TRADE: PRESERVATION PRACTICES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
If the preservation movement is going to be successful in the coming decades, we need the most appropriate and up-to-date tools and regulations in place. These panelists have a wealth of knowledge about municipal policies that affect preservation and they will discuss utilizing and improving these policies.

Participants will include Juan Camilo Osorio, GIS analyst and planner at the Municipal Art Society; President of the Preservation League of New York State Jay DiLorenzo, and Steven McClain, president of the Trust for Architectural Easements.

5:15pm-6:15pm
CLOSING RECEPTION

Register for the Conference