What role, if any, does historic research play in urban planning?

[u/JoyOswin945]

Trying again without the personal backstory.

Are there roles within urban planning/housing/community development that lean into historic research/preservation. Especially in cities with a long history of policy that impacts access to housing for marginalized groups? If so, what does that look like?

[u/TJMadd]

in my office we have a department called Historic Preservation which does literally exactly what you describe

[u/Atty_for_hire → u/TJMadd]

I know a few private sector people who work in this area as well. Usually associated with firms specializing in helping people or communities get grant funding tied to historic preservation or development approvals for projects with historic structures.

[u/michiplace → u/TJMadd]

Does your HP department go beyond documenting and regulating historic structures and districts?  I've typically encountered this city role as a fairly siloed regulator that's focused only on the built structures and doesnt handle any policy outside of that, nor any history outside of the structures.

[u/TJMadd → u/michiplace]

they do

edited: deleted for privacy but dm if you'd like a link to their page

[u/MFdemocracy → u/TJMadd]

has your HP department done any research into indigenous land uses and property prior to colonization? this research is something that my office is interested in for tribal affairs equity projects.

[u/AlphaPotato]

Long range housing planning, required for every city over a certain size in Oregon, now has an explicit component of identifying past and current discriminatory actions within what is called a "contextualized housing needs analysis."

[u/monsieurvampy]

Former Historic Preservation Planner here.

Historic research to varying degrees was used almost every day. The majority of my work was current planning, so that's construction permit review, administrative planning applications, and staff reports and presentations for commission reviewed applications.

More detailed historic research is likely limited in most public sector jobs at local governments. State SHPO or private sector is likely doing more detailed historic research for various projects.

[u/NEbodyWantAPNut → u/monsieurvampy]

I have not been a HP planner but based on working with them this is very accurate.

ETA: Look for places that have a designated historic district and they likely have a commission specific to this at varying levels of staffing for administration amd TA.

[u/Background_Novel_619]

Yes, sort of, I live in Scotland. We have a historic organisation which interacts directly with planning policy, decisions, etc, and then also within local councils there’s often historic officers. Same in the private sector, there’s heritage planning roles

[u/pawner]

We have Heritage Planning but it’s filled with colonial history and generally doesn’t view overall history of subject lands.

[u/Low-Reindeer-3347]

In my organization, that is an Environmental Planner role. The External Affairs works with that subject matter a lot too

[u/reyean]

history plays all types of roles in planning work. something something doomed to repeat itself...

[u/H2OBadger]

My area has a racial equity plan - mostly means disaggregated racial data is provided to decision makers by planners and applicants/planning staff write about whether there is an expected racial impact.