The Historic District Action Guide: From Designation Campaigns to Keeping Districts Vitalis a results-oriented, straight-talking guide for local activists, professionals, and preservation commissions committed to winning and maintaining local historic districts. Its political approach focuses on the crucial challenges of gaining and sustaining community and local governmental support for historic district regulations.

This how-to guide gives citizens who are fighting to designate a local historic district the political know-how to win the support of fellow residents and city hall. Everything is here: learning to think politically, mastering the political process; planning and strategy; campaign organizing and leadership; framing a practical vision; anticipating and handling the opposition; conducting community meetings; skirmishing with property rightists; managing issues, petitions, and public opinion; dealing with public officials; strategizing for public hearings; and winning the vote for district designation. Once the vote is won, theAction Guideshows how to maintain momentum in their communities once the initial political campaign to win historic preservation designation has faded and the real work of enforcement begins.

William E. Schmickle, Ph.D., is past chair of the Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission and cofounder of the Oak Ridge, North Carolina, Historic District. His services are available through his website,www.preservationpolitics.com.

Introduction: What Dya Know?
Part I: Preservation& the Politics of Historic District Designation
Before You Take Another StepThinking Politically about Historic District DesignationHow It StartsA Walk through the Designation Process: A Guided Tour with Planner Kaye GraybealPart II: Campaign Strategy
On Planning and StrategyOur Strategic Line: A Community in/within ConflictMakers, Breakers, Takers, and Shapers: The Political Field of PlayLeadership and OrganizationWorking with a Local Historical Society: A Conversation with Historic Annapolis Greg StiversonA Practical VisionGentrification and Social Justice: An Exchange with the University of Georgias James ReapThinking Politically about Design GuidelinesIts PersonalSticks and StonesPart III: Campaigning in the Community
The Campaign KickoffTwitter CampaigningCommunity Meeting ArrangementsYour Community PresentationFAQs: Frequently Asked QuestionsThinking Politically about Q&A: The Moving Pattern of Opponents ChallengesOur Reframing Q&A StrategyAnswering Opposition Questions I: From Distrust of Them to the Pivotal ShiftAnswering Opposition Questions II: From the Pivotal Shift to Distrust of UsProperty-Rights ExtremistsPetition PoliticsReaching Out to the OppositionPart IV: Managing the Formal Designation Process
Moving on to City Hall: Preparing for Commission HearingsBehind-the-Scenes IntelligenceWorking with the Press: Guidance from a ReporterA Civic VisionThe Top Tier of Local GovernmentPart V: Winning the City Council Vote
The Politics of Public HearingsLobbying City Hall: A Conversation with a LobbyistSpeaking Mayor to Mayor: A Dialogue with Charlestons Joseph P. Riley. Jr.A Checklist for One-on-One MeetingsOur Public Hearing PresentationThe Politics of CompromiseWinning the VotePart VI: The Politics of Administering the Historic District
Our Transition to the HPCOn Public ServiceOur Community Compact for Rooted GrowthDrawing up Our Design Guidelines: Tackling the Problem with Consultant Peter BensonFusion Preservation: Thinking like a DistrictistPolitical Maintenance: Delivering Good GovernmentPart VII: Political Demolition by Neglect
Dispositional GatekeepingThe Temptation of Administrative LegalismMunicipal NeglectThe View from City Council: A Talk with a Council MemberDistricts under ThreatState-Level InterventionsPart VIII: Navigating the Municipal Administration
The Role of Your Preservation Planner: A Discussion with Raleighs Dan BeckerRelations with Your Mayor: The Views of a Mayors AdviserPart IX: The Politics of Aging Historic Districts
The Crisis of Second-Generation DistrictsOIMBYismGetting Helpful Local Coverage: The Perspectives of a Newspaper Executive EditorOur New Strategic LineA New Political Whos Who: An OverviewWhos Who, Part One: District RootersWhos Who, Part Two: District RottersConfronting PolarizersGentrifications Dissidents: On Displacement with Baltimores Eric HolcombPart X: District Decline and Its Reversal
Political Personalities: Who Leads?The Stages of Declining DistrictsThe Politics of Decision Making: Defensible and DefendableEnforcement: The Third Rail of Historic District PoliticsThe Politics of AppealsChoosing Our BattlesPart XI: Repairing Our Community Compact
Transformative EducationReconstructive ProgramsInstitutionalizing Community RelationsRenewal through Revising Design GuidelinesA Preservation Plan? Looking Ahead with Consultant Elizabeth WatsonOur Sustaining VisionEpilogue