Team BEN (www.buffaloexpatnetwork.com) is extremely excited to announce the participation of Dan Holland, founder and CEO of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh (YPA), in their next Buffalo Revisit(ed) Weekend Mixer on Friday, July 23rd. In his talk, "Old Buildings for Young People", Dan will share about his experience in engaging younger audiences in the preservation discussion in Pittsburgh, to see what may be relevant for Buffalo.
By Dan Holland, Founder and CEO of Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh (YPA):
Since 2002, the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh (YPA) has successfully recruited young people to the historic preservation movement. We have developed programs and tours and hosted special events that involve younger people (primarily the Gen X and Gen Y crowd) with their communities, cultivate youth leadership, and encourage young people to forge southwestern Pennsylvania's future through historic preservation.
YPA argues that if older regions to prosper again, they must build upon their strengths to attract and retain creative and vibrant younger people who can invest in and preserve historic structures. Several studies show that young people desire to live and work in communities with distinctive historic buildings that offer a unique sense of place. Regions that market these assets have an advantage when trying to draw in young people seeking new business and housing options.
The preservation movement has done a good job of emphasizing architectural heritage, historical significance, and even the economic value of preserving old buildings. But, as YPA has shown, the movement must also broaden its appeal to attract a greater diversity of ages, races, and economic strata if it is to remain relevant.
One of YPA's most effective tools is its annual list of the "Top Ten Best Preservation Opportunities in the Pittsburgh Area," developed by YPA's Board from publicly solicited nominations. Since 2003 the Top Ten List has focused attention on key historic buildings in southwestern Pennsylvania, raising their profile as community assets worth keeping. Many preservation organizations have "endangered" lists; YPA believes that young people respond better to "opportunities" because it helps them imagine the potential these historic resources have for breathing new life into old communities, particularly those that are economically distressed. YPA releases its Top Ten List in conjunction with a lively reception that attracts many younger people.
The purpose is to break down stereotypes about preservation and mold a perception of preservation as "cool." Many of the properties listed on the Top Ten List become success stories, in part because YPA has built activities for young people around them.
For 2009, YPA has adapted its Top Ten List into a video contest open to people aged twenty-five and under. As in the past, YPA's board will identify the Top Ten based on nominations received, but instead of a static, printed report, the Top Ten List will be in the form of short YouTube videos that will be universally accessible via YPA's Website. In addition, nominators of the top five selected sites will receive a cash award.
YPA also engages cycling enthusiasts with its successful "Wheeling through History Bike Tour." By leading guided tours through select neighborhoods, YPA provides participants with an opportunity to learn about Pittsburgh's history, exercise, and socialize all at the same time. The bike tour also highlights some of the buildings that have appeared on Top Ten lists.
YPA's latest youth engagement project is the Youth Main Street Advisors Program. In 2007, YPA piloted the program with a diverse group of thirty-three students from four southwestern Pennsylvania high schools. Each of the four teams of students produced a video that features the history of their community, highlighting its current conditions and recommending strategies for its revitalization. As a result of the project, the students developed a DVD, received training in the use of video technology and editing software, and learned about local history. They also have injected a fresh new voice into discussions about revitalizing their communities.YPA is adapting this idea into a book project.
In this version, student groups at participating schools will publish a book about their community's past, present, and future. As with the video project, students will deal directly with issues related to history, historic preservation, and community revitalization.YPA embodies diversity. Not only do its programs reach out to a diverse audience, its board of directors includes a diversity of races, genders, sexual orientations, and backgrounds.
Ultimately, YPA understands that young people have the energy to invigorate the preservation movement. But young people's interest must be properly cultivated and they must be mentored if they are to drive the movement's future in a multicultural society.
To hear Dan speak, please join BEN at its upcoming Mixer. Event details:
Friday, July 23rd
7pm
Just Vino, 846 Main Street
Expat Website Event
Facebook Event
Dan Holland is Chief Executive Officer of Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh.
View image
By Dan Holland, Founder and CEO of Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh (YPA):
Since 2002, the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh (YPA) has successfully recruited young people to the historic preservation movement. We have developed programs and tours and hosted special events that involve younger people (primarily the Gen X and Gen Y crowd) with their communities, cultivate youth leadership, and encourage young people to forge southwestern Pennsylvania's future through historic preservation.
YPA argues that if older regions to prosper again, they must build upon their strengths to attract and retain creative and vibrant younger people who can invest in and preserve historic structures. Several studies show that young people desire to live and work in communities with distinctive historic buildings that offer a unique sense of place. Regions that market these assets have an advantage when trying to draw in young people seeking new business and housing options.
The preservation movement has done a good job of emphasizing architectural heritage, historical significance, and even the economic value of preserving old buildings. But, as YPA has shown, the movement must also broaden its appeal to attract a greater diversity of ages, races, and economic strata if it is to remain relevant.One of YPA's most effective tools is its annual list of the "Top Ten Best Preservation Opportunities in the Pittsburgh Area," developed by YPA's Board from publicly solicited nominations. Since 2003 the Top Ten List has focused attention on key historic buildings in southwestern Pennsylvania, raising their profile as community assets worth keeping. Many preservation organizations have "endangered" lists; YPA believes that young people respond better to "opportunities" because it helps them imagine the potential these historic resources have for breathing new life into old communities, particularly those that are economically distressed. YPA releases its Top Ten List in conjunction with a lively reception that attracts many younger people.
The purpose is to break down stereotypes about preservation and mold a perception of preservation as "cool." Many of the properties listed on the Top Ten List become success stories, in part because YPA has built activities for young people around them.
For 2009, YPA has adapted its Top Ten List into a video contest open to people aged twenty-five and under. As in the past, YPA's board will identify the Top Ten based on nominations received, but instead of a static, printed report, the Top Ten List will be in the form of short YouTube videos that will be universally accessible via YPA's Website. In addition, nominators of the top five selected sites will receive a cash award.
YPA also engages cycling enthusiasts with its successful "Wheeling through History Bike Tour." By leading guided tours through select neighborhoods, YPA provides participants with an opportunity to learn about Pittsburgh's history, exercise, and socialize all at the same time. The bike tour also highlights some of the buildings that have appeared on Top Ten lists.
YPA's latest youth engagement project is the Youth Main Street Advisors Program. In 2007, YPA piloted the program with a diverse group of thirty-three students from four southwestern Pennsylvania high schools. Each of the four teams of students produced a video that features the history of their community, highlighting its current conditions and recommending strategies for its revitalization. As a result of the project, the students developed a DVD, received training in the use of video technology and editing software, and learned about local history. They also have injected a fresh new voice into discussions about revitalizing their communities.YPA is adapting this idea into a book project.In this version, student groups at participating schools will publish a book about their community's past, present, and future. As with the video project, students will deal directly with issues related to history, historic preservation, and community revitalization.YPA embodies diversity. Not only do its programs reach out to a diverse audience, its board of directors includes a diversity of races, genders, sexual orientations, and backgrounds.
Ultimately, YPA understands that young people have the energy to invigorate the preservation movement. But young people's interest must be properly cultivated and they must be mentored if they are to drive the movement's future in a multicultural society.
To hear Dan speak, please join BEN at its upcoming Mixer. Event details:
Friday, July 23rd
7pm
Just Vino, 846 Main Street
Expat Website Event
Facebook Event
Dan Holland is Chief Executive Officer of Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh.
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Pittsburgh has some really great architecture. Its a blue collar city with an industrial heritage like Buffalo.
Buffalo developers and architecture fans should also look to Pittsburgh for historical and period residential architecture to infill our improving urban neighborhoods.
Those Pittsburgh row houses would fit perfectly right here in Buffalo....just need to put an alley in the back for garages and off street parking.