The City of Austin’s Historic Landmark Commission has scored national recognition for its work on the City’s first preservation plan in more than 40 years.  The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) awarded the all-volunteer body with a Commission Excellence Award in Best Practices: Public Outreach/Advocacy for its initiation and stewardship of the Equity-Based Preservation Plan. The plan will be reviewed for adoption by City Council this fall.

The Equity-Based Preservation Plan explores how preservation can support a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future for everyone. 107 recommendations support 14 goals ranging from stabilizing communities to supporting stewardship of community assets. Draft recommendations prioritize engagement and propose tools to ensure that preservation equitably benefits people across the city. The recommendations also consider how to better tell Austin’s full, complex story while maintaining a high bar for historic designation.

“As we look towards adoption and implementation of the plan, it’s wonderful to get this national award,” said Ben Heimsath, Chair of the Historic Landmark Commission. “So much has changed in Austin and the historic preservation field since our last preservation plan in 1981. The Equity-Based Preservation Plan responds to those changes and proposes exciting steps for an even more effective program and a better shared future.”

The Historic Landmark Commission initiated the planning process to address historic review and incentives, as well as preservation’s role in a rapidly changing city: Whose heritage is represented in historic properties? What stories are missing? Who benefits from preservation programs and incentives? How can preservation tools support sustainability and affordability?

Instead of hiring a consultant, the Commission created the Preservation Plan Working Group, whose roster includes 26 community members who reflect Austin’s racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity. The group features many perspectives: Commissioners, longtime residents, business owners, preservation professionals, developers, and cultural heritage-keepers. Members were selected from 150 applicants, with half opting into compensation.

“This has been a community-centered process from the beginning,” said Lauren Middleton-Pratt, Director of the Austin Planning Department. “We’re grateful for everyone who got us to this point, whether it was the Preservation Plan Working Group or the thousands of Austinites who contributed input and feedback. We’re thrilled that the new preservation plan is grounded in local people and stories, and that everyone’s contributions are being recognized with this national Public Outreach/Advocacy Award.”

In creating the draft Equity-Based Preservation Plan, the working group reviewed good practices from across the U.S., consulted staff from 12 City departments, and conducted a community heritage survey. Focus groups gave input on legacy businesses, cultural and heritage organizations, and neighborhood priorities. A ULI Technical Assistance Panel involved the development community. In total, working group members spent 1,100 hours developing the plan over the course of a year, with input from 275 people. Community engagement around the draft plan in spring 2024 engaged an additional 2,600 people to provide feedback, with help from paid community ambassadors and community organizations receiving mini-grants.

“The selection committee was very impressed by the collaborative, inclusive nature of the planning process and the innovative Equity-Based Preservation Plan,” said Stephanie Paul, NAPC’s Executive Director. “We hope that this award encourages more cities to follow Austin’s lead in centering equity in historic preservation planning and policies.”

Learn more at SpeakUpAustin.org/ATXpresplan.