Meeting the Nashville Challenge: We Need Your Feedback!
As a follow up to the Pocantico Convening, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Friends of the National Center for Preservation Training and Technology hosted a gathering of preservationists in Nashville during the 2009 National Preservation Conference. The purpose of this convening was to discuss policy challenges related to historic preservation and environmental sustainability. Prior to the meeting, we released the Nashville Challenge Statement, which provided a framework for discussing the challenges facing the preservation movement regarding sustainable development and green building.
The challenge statement notes: “In recent years, the preservation movement has articulated ways in which sustainable development and historic preservation are mutually reinforcing…Yet despite these connections, there are instances in which the goals, values, and policies for sustainable development and historic preservation diverge.” For example, many experts believe that in order for existing buildings to achieve greater than 40% improvements in energy performance, the building must incorporate renewable energy. However, the placement of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind turbines can sometimes challenge the integrity of historic buildings and landscapes.
The gathering, which included 100 on-site participants and over 200 online, provided an opportunity for the preservation community to discuss this and other policy-related challenges. Participants were asked to respond to this question:
"How should the American preservation movement align with national efforts to address climate change and promote environmental sustainability, while remaining true to the fundamental values of historic preservation? Do we need to revisit our own policies and practices; try to get other key players to understand and embrace preservation as a key strategy; or both?"
A summary of the convening is available below. As we consider our next steps to follow up to the Nashville Challenge, we are eager to get your response to the issues and proposed actions outlined in this document. Please share your thoughts using the comments feature at the bottom of this page.
Research
The preservation community must have better data to make our case about the environmental sustainability benefits of historic preservation. By informing ourselves, as well as those outside the community, with scientific data we will create a solid basis for internal and external discussions and sound decision-making.
We must have better information about effective strategies for retrofitting and maintaining historic buildings. Such strategies must be sensitive to building typology and climate.
- Action: Expand the understanding of environmental research being conducted in preservation and related fields.
- Action: Improve our ability to quantify the environmental benefits of historic preservation.
- Action: Develop better data/information on effective retrofit strategies.
- Action: Improve the promotion and dissemination of current and new research efforts.
The Secretary of Interior Standards
There was a general consensus that the Standards are both sound and flexible, but neither the standards nor the guidance for implementing the standards directly address the urgent climate change and environmental sustainability challenges we face.
- Action: Improve and strengthen guidelines for the Secretary's Standards for Rehabilitation by addressing sustainability issues.
- Action: Retain and reinforce the flexibility inherent in the Standards, but include the concept of sustainability more prominently.
Education
Education and training on greening older and historic buildings is essential for preservation professionals and other allied professionals, and for the successful implementation of public policy that promotes energy efficiency in buildings.
- Action: Develop and bring to scale programs that provide preservationists and other allied professionals training on appropriate retrofit strategies for historic buildings.
Federal Policy
Look for opportunities to improve and create financial incentives for the reuse of buildings and reinvestment in older and historic communities. Eliminate disincentives for reuse and reinvestment.
- Action: Advocate for expanded availability and use of federal rehabilitation tax credits.
- Action: Maintain and improve existing preservation tax credits and ensure the continuation of other credits, such as those for energy, low income housing, and new markets.
- Action: Engage with federal agencies to ensure preservation representatives play an active role in inter-agency efforts to promote sustainable communities and green.
Energy Efficiency
Take an active role in the improvement of energy codes and standards.
- Action: Work with the International Code Council, Department of Energy, and other organizations involved in creating the next generation of codes to ensure that there is sufficient flexibility for historic/existing buildings to meet energy efficiency requirements.
- Action: Emphasize the importance of retrofitting older and historic houses within various federal, state, and local codes and programs.
- Action: Promote outcome based codes rather than prescriptive based codes in order to provide maximum flexibility for historic/existing buildings in achieving significant efficiency improvements.
Renewables
Renewable energy is an important means of reducing carbon emissions, but in some cases may raise major issues for historic buildings and cultural landscapes.
- Action: Work with federal agencies to ensure responsible siting of large-scale renewable projects.
- Action: Investigate the role renewables might play in avoiding invasive, non-reversible changes in historic buildings.
- Action: Develop strategies for the sensitive siting of renewables on historic buildings, in historic districts, and within or near viewsheds.
Partnerships
The preservation and sustainability communities must work together in a cohesive and collaborative manner.
- Action: Strengthen key existing partnerships.
- Action: Expand beyond traditional partners and forge additional public and private partnerships.
Perceptions and Perspectives
The movement must reach out to counter the perception that historic preservation is irrelevant in climate change conversations. We must get out the message that historic preservation must be a cornerstone of creating a more sustainable built environment.
- Action: Improve communication and education, especially outreach to non-traditional partners.
- Action: Develop a focused agenda to look at historic preservation messaging. Work with others to create and disseminate the message.
Broaden our Reach
Focus our efforts on the reuse and retrofits of historic and older buildings. Preservationists have significant expertise in ensuring the longevity of buildings, and we can help inform the larger dialog around sustainability and the built environment.
- Action: Look for opportunities to contribute to policy dialogue about the built environment generally, and bring to bear the lessons of preservation.
Submitted by old house sc at: December 14, 2009
1) Location, location, location. Ratings systems need to factor in that many of our older buildings are in areas that do not require car transportation, which adds to their "sustainability" ie you can bike, walk, ride the bus to wherever you need to go. 2) Our older buildings originally incorporated many passive climate controls, encourage owners to reintroduce and use. 3) A massive education campaign with very simple steps will need to be launched in order to have any effect on the average building owner.
Submitted by Stevie at: December 11, 2009
All good action items. I would include working with the International Code Council to incorporate HP into the building codes.