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Historic Preservation Home > Syllabi > 400 Level Courses > HISP 405-02 Survey and Preservation Planning

UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION

SURVEY & PRESERVATION PLANNING
HISP 405-02

M. Megan McDonald
T/R 2:00 – 3:15pm
Combs Hall #114              

Description
Historic Preservation 405, Survey and Preservation Planning, is a survey and research-based study of preservation planning, emphasizing the identification and analysis of cultural resources in their unique geographical, historical, and socio-economic contexts.  The course will be divided into four sections: General Planning, Surveying, Preservation Planning and National Register. This course is designated both as a Department of Historic Preservation Capstone course and as a Writing Intensive course. The purpose of the course is to provide “field” experience in preservation planning.  The course involves:

  • Identifying and qualitatively evaluating cultural resources,
  • Utilizing and analyzing survey materials, and
  • Exploring preservation planning theories and methods. 

Course Objectives

  1. Foster an understanding of the interaction between general planning efforts and preservation planning, particularly in regards to comprehensive and preservation plans.
  2. Provide additional exposure to planning terminology and tools that are useful to students both as future preservation professionals and as engaged citizens involved in the preservation of historic resources within their own communities.
  3. Acquire working familiarity with cultural resource surveys and National Register nominations.
  4. Provide practical experience in researching and writing for historic preservation purposes, as well as verbally presenting information to a variety of audiences.
  5. Foster students’ curiosity and desire to continue seeking information regarding current issues and challenges affecting preservation planning and historic resources.

Required Texts
John Levy, Contemporary Urban Planning, 7th ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall (2005). The 6th or 7th edition is acceptable for this course. Therefore, if students already have a copy from a previous course, they need not purchase the new edition. Additionally, a copy has been placed on 2-hour reserve at Simpson Library for students’ use.

Bradford J. White and Richard J. Roddewig, “Preparing a Historic Preservation Plan,” Planning Advisory Service Report #450 (March 1994).

All other materials will be made available online or will be distributed in class.
Requirements

  1. Honor Code: All graded work is bound by the provisions of the Honor Code and must be pledged, signed, and dated.
  1. Preparation & Participation: Keeping up with readings and assignments, participating in class, and interacting with your classmates/teammates in a respectful manner will enrich the learning experience for all of us. This course requires both individual effort as well as team contribution.  Both your individual effort and your contribution to the team are of equal importance and will count toward a portion of your final grade.
  1. Attendance: Class sessions are crucial for conveying information not provided in readings, organizing team projects, and ensuring that the substance and form of the projects meets established standards. Your attendance is vital for your learning as well as for lively class discussion. Attendance for all in-class exercises or presentations is required; these cannot be made up at a later date.
  1. Graded Coursework: No passing grade can be achieved in this course without completion of all graded assignments, which are due at the beginning of class unless otherwise specified by the instructor. Late submissions will be marked down ten points per day.
    • All assignments must be typed in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double spaced, with 1” margins all around. Pages should be stapled. Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers (6th ed.) should be used for all written assignments. Footnotes or endnotes are permitted.  Parenthetical references are not acceptable.
    • Your grade will be based upon your individual work as well as your contribution to team projects.  Team projects will receive a grade as a team; however, your personal recorded grade will be based only on your work as an individual and as a contributor to a team.
    • This course is Writing Intensive. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors will reduce the overall grade on assignments, so please proofread carefully and do not rely solely on computer spelling and grammar checkers! I encourage you to take advantage of the Writing Center’s assistance prior to submitting assignments.
    • Students are expected to allow sufficient time for computer-related problems when completing assignments. However, every student will be allotted one (1), and only one, computer “freebie” for the semester with respect to a late individual (not a team) assignment. This “freebie” will extend the due date by twenty-four (24) hours without the normal point deduction, but only if the student notifies the instructor by phone, email, or in person before class of the technical problem.
    • Assignment 1 requires attendance at one meeting of the City of Fredericksburg Planning Commission. Students should attend the meeting on Wednesday, September 12 at 7:30pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall (715 Princess Anne Street). If a student has a legitimate conflict (work or another course) that prevents attendance at this meeting, please see the instructor as soon as possible for approval to attend an alternative meeting.
  • Exams: Each student’s final exam grade will be based upon (1) his/her presentation of a current preservation planning issue and (2) his/her response to a short essay question.

Grade Distribution
The course requirements will be graded on a point system with 1,000 total possible points.

Graded Course Requirements

Due Date

Points

Class Participation and Team Contribution

N/A

40

Assignment 1: Planning Commission Summary

9/18

40

Assignment 2: Cultural Resource Survey, Part I

10/2

125

Assignment 3: Cultural Resource Survey, Part II

10/18

200

Assignment 4: Cultural Resource Profile Presentation

10/18

25

Assignment 5: Draft of National Register Nomination Sections 7&8

11/6

10

Assignment 6: National Register Nomination

11/13

200

Assignment 7: National Register Nomination Presentation

11/13 or 11/15

75

Assignment 8: Proposal for Assignment

11/20

10

Assignment 9: Critical Analysis of Current Pres. Planning Issue

12/4

200

Assignment 10: Presentation on Planning Issue/Final Exam

12/11

75

Total Possible Points

1000

Grading Scale

A

4.00

94-100%

A-

3.70

90-93%

B+

3.30

87-89%

B

3.00

83-86%

B-

2.70

80-82%

C+

2.30

77-79%

C

2.00

73-76%

C-

1.70

70-72%

D+

1.30

67-69%

D

1.00

60-66%

F

0.00

<60%

A mid-semester report of unsatisfactory (U) will be reported if a student has a C- or below in the course at the time reports are submitted.

Instructor Information
M. Megan McDonald
Combs – Office #122
(540) 654-1371
mmcdonal@umw.edu

Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 9:30-11:00am; Tuesdays & Thursdays 10:00- 11:00am.
                       Also by appointment.

Office of Disability Services
The Office of Disability Services has been designated by the University as the primary office to guide, counsel, and assist students with disabilities. If you receive services through that office and require accommodations for this class, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss your approved accommodation needs. Please bring your accommodation letter with you to the appointment. I will hold any information you share with me in strictest confidence unless you give me permission to do otherwise.

If you have not made contact with the Office of Disability Services and have accommodation needs, (note taking assistance, extended time for tests, etc.), I will be happy to refer you. The office will require appropriate documentation, and may be contacted at (540) 654-1266.

CLASS SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS

I. General Planning

Week 1
8/28 T:    Overview of course syllabus and requirements;
Introduction to preservation planning and its intersection with general planning

8/30 R:Background and history of planning in the United States
Reading:
John Levy, Contemporary Urban Planning, skim Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 (read more thoroughly any chapters you do not recall from HISP 209 so you are comfortable with the material).

Week 2
9/4 T:      The legal basis of planning;
The political process and social issues
Reading:
Levy, Chapters5, 6, and 7.

9/6 R:      The comprehensive plan and its elements – Part I
Reading:
Levy, Chapter 8              

Week 3
9/11 T:    The comprehensive plan and its elements – Part II
Reading:
TBA

ASSIGNMENT 1: Attend City of Fredericksburg Planning Commission meeting at                                7:30 PM; summary and analysis paper due in class on 9/18.

9/13 R:      Urban Design;
Urban Renewal;
Transportation Planning
Reading:
Levy, Chapters 10, 11 (pp. 176-185 only!), and 12

II. Surveying

Week 4
9/18 T:      Cultural resource surveys and their role in planning
        ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE
Reading:
Introduction, National Register Bulletin, “Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning,” available at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb24/intro.htm;
Chapter IV, National Register Bulletin, “Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning,” available at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb24/chapter4.htm;
Chapter I, National Register Bulletin, “Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning,” available at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb24/chapter1.htm

9/20 R:      Survey field exercise - location to be announced
        ASSIGNMENTS 2 & 3 DISTRIBUTED
Reading:
Chapter II, National Register Bulletin, “Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning,” available at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb24/chapter2.htm;
Chapter III, National Register Bulletin, “Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning,” available at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb24/chapter3.htm

Week 5
9/25 T:      Survey methods and approaches;
Organization of survey data
Reading:
Virginia Department of Historic Resources, “Guidelines for Conducting Cultural Resource Studies in Virginia,” available at http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/review/Survey_Manual_Web.pdf  (pp. 1-71 only!).

9/27 R:      Surveying: Research & Resources;
Archaeological surveys vs. architectural surveys
Reading:
Virginia Department of Historic Resources, “Guidelines for Conducting Cultural Resource Studies in Virginia,” available at http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/review/Survey_Manual_Web.pdf  (pp. 72-96).

Week 6
10/2 T:      Peer Review of Assignment 2;
Discussion of questions or concerns regarding Assignment 3
(Should the questions be brief, class will end early to allow you to meet with
team members or to work on individual portions of the assignment.)
        ASSIGNMENT 2 DUE

10/4 R:    NO CLASS – Use time to work on Assignment 3

Week 7
10/9 T:      Strategies for presentations;
Lessons learned from Assignment 2;
“Real life” Part I – survey work in the profession            

10/11 R: “Real life” Part II – flexibility out in the field;
integrating surveys into the planning process

Week 8
10/16 T: NO CLASS – Fall Break

10/18 R: ASSIGNMENT 3 DUE
               ASSIGNMENT 4 DUE – Survey Team Presentations

III. National register of historic places

Week 9
10/23 T:  Introduction to the National Register
Reading:
Chapter I, National Register Bulletin, “How to Complete the National Register Registration Form,” available at http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb16a/nrb16a_intro.htm;
Chapter II, National Register Bulletin, “How to Complete the National Register Registration Form,” available at http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb16a/nrb16a_II.htm

10/25 R:  National Register nomination form
Reading:
Chapter III, National Register Bulletin, “How to Complete the National
Register Registration Form,” available at http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb16a/nrb16a_III.htm;
National Register Bulletin, “How to Apply National Register Criteria for Evaluation,” available at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15/

Week 10
10/30 T: Geographic Locator Techniques – meet in the drafting lab
Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid references
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Reading:
      Appendix VIII, National Register Bulletin, “How to Complete the National Register Registration Form,” available at http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb16a/nrb16a_appendix_VIII.htm

11/1 R:      Context and Significance;
Research Strategies

Week 11
11/6 T:      PEER REVIEW OF NATIONAL REGISTER FORM SECTIONS 7 & 8
ASSIGNMENT 5 DUE (DRAFTS OF SECTIONS 7 & 8 ONLY!)

11/8 R:      PROBLEM SOLVING AND WRITING DISCUSSION (based on drafts)
Local Designation vs. National Register nomination

Week 12

11/13 T:     ASSIGNMENT 6 DUE
ASSIGNMENT 7 DUE – Begin National Register Nomination Presentations

11/15 R:    ASSIGNMENT 7 DUE – Finish National Register Nomination Presentations
INTRODUCTION TO PRESERVATION PLANNING (during second portion of class)

IV. Preservation planning     

Week 13
11/20 T:  Preservation planning tools
ASSIGNMENT 8 DUE
Reading:
Levy, Chapter 9

11/22 R:  NO CLASS – Thanksgiving

Week 14
11/27 T:  Preservation PLANS AND THEIR ELEMENTS
Reading:
Bradford J. White and Richard J. Roddewig, “Preparing a Historic Preservation Plan.”

11/29 R:  challenges to preservation planning

Week 15
12/4 T:      “HOT TOPICS” IN PRESERVATION PLANNING
ASSIGNMENT 9 DUE

12/6 R:    protecting rural and cultural landscapes;
Careers and Graduate School;
course review and preparation for final exam/presentations          

12/13 T:    FINAL EXAM/ASSIGNMENT 10 DUE – Current Preservation Planning Issue                                                       Presentations/Short Essay Question