This weekend, young preservationists from Buffalo, Ohio, Wheeling, and Indianapolis will descend on Pittsburgh for the Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationist Summit. This is a big deal for Pittsburgh and for the historic preservationists who are coming to town. Not only is this a great opportunity to show our rust belt neighbors some of the best historic preservation Pittsburgh has to offer, but this is a chance to learn from other cities what has been successful in their historic preservation efforts.
One of the most influential events that I participated in was the 2nd annual GLUE (Great Lakes Urban Exchance) conference in Milwuakee in 2009. After a plane ride and a train ride, I showed up in a very cold Milwaukee and was wondering why I decided to make the trip. The next day, they loaded us onto a bus for a tour of Growing Power, an award winning urban farm in Milwaukee. I was sure I was going to hate the experience and I was already looking for a plane ticket home. After about 15 minutes of the tour, I had forgotten how cold it was and was already sold on the idea of hydroponic urban farming. Not only did I leave Milwaukee an adamant supporter of urban farming, but I had build a network of incredibly valuable rust belt city lovers in other cities.
I am incredibly impressed with the work that the Young Preservationists Association has done to bring this conference to Pittsburgh and to show off some of the excellent examples of historic preservation (and preservation in process) in the city of Pittsburgh.
There are still tickets left to join the RBCoYP on the tour of Carrie Furnace on Sunday (a great opportunity, especially since the tours of Carrie Furnace usually sell out).
Follow the RBCoYP
Website: rustbeltcoalitionofyoungpreservationists.com- Twitter: @RBCoYP
- Instagram: instagram.com/rustbeltyp/
- Summit Hashtag: #rustbelttakeover
RBCoYP in Curbed
Make sure to check out this post on Curbed, a national real estate blog about the RBCoYP Conference. Great press for the young preservationists and for Pittsburgh.
April 7, 2016, Curbed: Young Rust Belt Preservationists Banding Together to Save Industrial Heritage by Patrick Sisson, @freqresponse
During an election season with a focus on manufacturing and American jobs, it’s hard to escape mention of the Rust Belt and its importance to the race. While many have rightfully focused on workers and economic revitalization, that same concern hasn’t been shown to the physical reminders of U.S. manufacturing across the region. The challenge of protecting and preserving the region’s architectural history, and using it as a catalyst for future development, has led a group of young preservationists to try and find new means to publicize and protect endangered sites.
The Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists, bringing together smaller groups from New York, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, meets for its first summit this upcoming weekend in Pittsburgh. Hosted by the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh, the meetup aims to establish a regional network, share strategy, and create a support system for new and nascent groups forming around the region.
Join the RBCoYP for a tour of Carrie Furnace and Debrief at Brew Gentleman
While most of the events are just for the visiting preservationists, check out the entire schedule of events here so you can see all of the places that will be highlighted). The events on Sunday are open to the public and there are still tickets left to see Carrie Furnace.
- 11am – Tour of Carrie Furnace
- 1:30pm – Rust Belt Coaltion Wrap Up at Brew Gentlemen
Some more rust belt reading…
- A Human Study of the American Rust Belt in Decline During the 1980s (flavorwire.com)
- Vacant Lots in 6 Cities to Become Tree Farms, Ag Plots (stlouis.cbslocal.com)
- Akron plays a key role in new book ‘The Smartest Places on Earth’ (crainscleveland.com)
