Old & Green: Where Historic Preservation and Environmental Conservation Overlap

CSAR-260-10
Summer 2008

Dr. Barry Stiefel, Ph.D.

E-mail: bstiefel@tulane.edu, Phone (emergency) 734-223-0319 Course Description: When thinking about environmental conservation we tend to focus on protecting natural ecosystems, preserving animal habitats, and safeguarding air, water, and soil quality. However, many of our most important cultural and historical artifacts are firmly embedded in our natural and built environments. Furthermore, many of our most treasured historic sites, buildings, and landscapes are part of the environment and/or incorporate the fundamental components of green building and sustainable planning that are needed to protect it. The purpose of this class is to provide an introduction on where Historic Preservation and Environmental Conservation overlap in practice and theory. My objective is to acquaint the historic preservationist with environmental conservation 1

and the environmental conservationist with historic preservation; however, those who do not claim to be students in either one of these subjects will also find this class interesting. Class Location: Online at http://mytulane.blackboard.com. Meeting is in your own time on a computer at least once per week for class discussion. All class deadlines will be based on the Central Time Zone where Tulane University is located. Interactive syllabus located at http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~bstiefel/OnlineOld&Green_files/OnlineOld&Green.htm Class Texts: All books can be ordered online, such as at Tulane Online Bookstore, Amazon.com, Borders.com, etc. Also, try checking your local library and/or Inter Library Loan (this is the cheapest option). Worldcat.org is a great place to check to see what local libraries have the books that you need as well as to conduct research for your assignments. 1. Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth (New Catalyst Bioregional Series) (Paperback ISBN: 086571312X) by Williams E. Rees, Mathis Wackernagel (Author), Phil Testemale. 2. The Antiquities Act: A Century of American Archaeology, Historic Preservation, And Nature Conservation (Paperback ISBN 0816525617) by David Harmon. 3. All other readings will be posted on Blackboard or the World Wide Web. Prerequisites for Taking an Internet-Based Course: Each student enrolled in an Internet-based course will need: Computer access (students are welcome to use any of the open campus computer labs); Minimum computer capabilities (see Minimum Computer Requirements section); An interest in utilizing the Internet as a distance education mode; Self-motivation with an online course, students need to take the initiative to review the on-line course materials, keep up with the reading and project assignments, and participate in the on-line discussions; and Adequate written communication skills to communicate effectively through the mediums of essay submissions, e-mail, and chat discussions. (While the Instructor for Internet-based courses is available almost on-demand through e-correspondence and eoffice hours, being comfortable with written communication is an imperative for distance education students.) Minimum Computer Requirements:

This online course utilizes Tulane University's Blackboard course software. In turn, the minimum computer system recommendations for using Blackboard software include the following. [Note: The Blackboard software platform may work on a computer that does not meet these minimum recommendations but using a lesser system could result in slow or problematic student access.] Platform: Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, ME or XP; MacOS 9 or MacOSX Hardware: 64 MB or RAM and 1 G of free disk space Browser: Internet Explorer 5.5 or Netscape 4.78 (enable JavaScript and Cookies) Modem: 56 K (but a DSL connection is recommended for viewing video clips) Tulane University e-mail and Blackboard accounts (along with the knowledge of how to send and receive e-mail) [Note: All newly admitted students will be automatically assigned a Tulane University e-mail account (your user name will be sent to you by mail and your password will be your social security number, without the dashes). If you are having trouble accessing your Tulane.edu e-mail or Blackboard accounts please contact the Computer Help Desk, at (504) 862-8888, during business hours.] Basic computer knowledge (including knowledge of word processing, printing files, downloading files, uploading files, etc.)

Course Requirements and Grading: Case Study Paper, 20% of Grade: Select a case study to research and report on in a 6-8 page paper. Topic is open to your choosing but the Instructor must approve it. This paper is due on the second to the last week of the semester. Students can either form their own groups or individuals may contact the Instructor for assistance in finding a partner. All papers are to be double-spaced with 12-point font and submitted electronically to me by e-mail. The papers will be electronically submitted to me for grading as well as posted on Blackboard and become part of the class discussion. ** If students prefer, they may form groups of 2-3 people to work on a group Case Study Paper. The group must inform the Instructor of their decision, who the members are for their group, and the topic. If choosing this option, the paper must be 10-12 pages in length. Only one member of each group needs to submit the paper but every member of the group must submit a description (1-2 paragraphs) of their involvement with the group, their contribution to the paper, and evaluate their other group members. ** Midterm Paper, 25% of Grade: A 6-8 page paper on the history and theory of historic preservation and environmental conservation. You must include concepts from The Antiquities Act: A Century of American Archaeology, Historic Preservation, and Nature Conservation as well as your own research. Please include in this paper discussion on how these two movements/histories/theorems compared and contrasted with each other. The papers will be electronically submitted to me for grading as well as posted on Blackboard and become part of the class discussion. Participation on Blackboard Course Discussion, 25% of Grade: Each individual in the course will be expected to participate in the class discussion on Blackboard. For each 3

week I will assign a student to begin the discussion at least once during the semester (depending on class enrollment). The student that begins the discussion for their respective week will be expected to write a minimum of 200 words about their topic for the week, and conclude with 2-5 questions (due Tuesday at 12:00 noon central time zone of the week the student is assigned for). The rest of the students in the class will be expected to respond (with a minimum of 100 words response per student) to the discussion and questions of the first student as well as the discussion already generated prior to their posting (due Saturday 12:00 midnight central time zone). The response may include a question(s) for other students in the class to answer. Extra credit will be considered for those students who provide more than one posting to the discussion in a week. During the course of each weekly discussion the Instructor will monitor the student postings to ensure that the class stays on topic as well as bring up concepts to prevent them from being over looked. A student who misses more than one week of the discussion may be penalized through losing points from their grade. Due to the nature of this class having an online format I will most likely not meet you in person. In addition to discussion on the course topic materials there will also be a separate discussion section for students to introduce themselves, communicate with one another, post messages, etc. I encourage each student to make a posting on this discussion page at least once during the semester. Also, please feel free to correspond with each other in order to become familiar with one another. Final Exam, 30% of Grade: For the end of term final paper I want you to have read Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth and write a 6-8 page essay on the various ways historic preservation is connected to the concept of Ecological Footprints. The official essay question(s) will be given the week of the exam. Extra Credit Paper, a bonus of 1% to 10%: Please inform the instructor first of your intention to pursue the extra credit assignment. Then, read the management plan for Black Mountain Open Space Park and conduct your own research on how and when historic preservation and environmental conservation come into conflict. After you have completed this, write a paper (1% extra credit per page) on the topic of when historic preservation and environmental conservation come into conflict. Discuss if one field is more important then the other and under which circumstances why you think this is so? During these instances of conflicting interest between historic preservation and environmental conservation, what ideas could be considered to find common ground? Include discussion from the article that I have provided, as well as your own research (use citations in footnotes or endnotes). Also, please state your own opinion and personal interests, and justify why you are taking your position. Submit the paper to me by e-mail when completed before the last week of the regular semester (will not accept paper during finals week). ** Note that the extra credit assignment can only be attempted once per person. ** Grade Distribution +100-98% 97-94% A+ A 4 4.0 4.0

93-90% 89-87% 86-84% 83-80% 79-77% 76-74% 73-70% 69-67% 66-64% 63-60% -59%

AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D DF+

3.67 3.34 3.0 2.67 2.34 2.0 1.67 1.34 1.0 .67 .34

Please ask if you have questions or comments during the semester. I also reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus during the semester due to unforeseen circumstances. Class Schedule (Tentative and Subject to Change): Week 1: Introduction, Historic Preservation and Environmental Conservation WWW: Environmental Movement History Timeline http://www.ecotopia.org/ehof/timeline.html History of Preservation Timeline http://www.emich.edu/public/geo/history.html National Park Service: Conservation, Preservation, Environment http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/hisnps/NPSThinking/nps-oah.htm Thematic Chronology of Planning http://www.planning.org/pathways/conserve.htm Blackboard: Preservation Ideal Rypkema Speech on Historic Preservation National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Instructor will begin Blackboard discussion for the first week.) Week 2: Sustainability WWW: Sustainable Historic Preservation http://www.ccb.org/resources/sustainable_hp.php Historic Preservation and Sustainability http://www.vsjf.org/sd-projects/default.HP.shtml A Natural Connection http://www.aia.org/nwsltr_cote.cfm?pagename=cote_a_200608_preservation National Trust - Historic Preservation and Sustainability http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/sustainability/ Blackboard: Sustainable Design and Historic Preservation GSA Sustainable Design Policy AIA Roundtable on Sustainable Design 5

Week 3: Preservation Planning and Environmental Planning WWW: Definition of Urban Planning (Read all significant links) http://dictionary.laborlawtalk.com/Urban_planning http://www.cr.nps.gov/local-law/arch_stnds_1.htm http://www.enviroeducation.com/majors-programs/env-plan.html Blackboard: Scottsdale Preservation and Environmental Plan FCC Environmental Historic Preservation Plan Traditional Cultural Properties, Management, & Enviro Plan (Recommended that you start reading The Antiquities Act if you havent already.) (Case Study groups must be formed and topic must be approved by end of the week.) Week 4: Rural, Wilderness, and Farmland Preservation WWW: Rural Housing Coalition http://www.ruralhousing.org/aboutrp.html Wilderness.net (Read all significant links) http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS Farmland Preservation Blossoms (3 Pages) http://mlui.org/farms/fullarticle.asp?fileid=17077 Blackboard: Facts Wilderness Farm Foundation Michigan Farmland Preservation Week 5: Easements and Transfer of Development Rights WWW: National Trust http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/legal-resources/easements/ Voluntary Farmland Preservation Techniques http://www.hillsdalecounty.info/planningeduc0008.asp Blackboard: TDR Fact sheet TDR: Innovative Preservation Technique Transfer of Development Rights: Examples Conservation and Preservation Easements in North Carolina Week 6: Smart Growth, Adaptive Reuse, and Green Building WWW: Smart Growth America http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/preservation.html New Urbanism http://www.newgeorgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1125 Montgomery Park: Sustainable Adaptive Reuse http://www.greenerbuildings.com/case_studies_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=69283 Green Building Waste Reduction Guide http://www.recycleworks.org/greenbuilding/gbg_waste_reduction.html Why Historic Preservation is Smart Growth http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/hp/smartgrowth/rykema.asp Blackboard: Why Johnny Cant Walk to School Smart Growth Preservation is Smart Growth 6

Green Building Guide Australian Government Adaptive Reuse Cambridge City Hall Case Study (Midterm Paper and Part 1 of Student Evaluation due at end of week) Week 7: Brownfields, Economic Redevelopment, and Environmental/Social Justice WWW: Culture, Historic Preservation and Economic Development http://www.columbia.edu/cu/china/DRPAP.html Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credits for Brownfields http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs/fed_prog_guide/fed_his_pres.htm Eyesore or Opportunity? http://www.brownfields.com/BrownfieldsSpotlight/2004/2004_April_Eyesore.htm Archaeological Site Tour at Superfund Site http://epa.gov/region1/pr/2000/091800.html Sierra Club Conservation Policies http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/conservation/justice.asp Blackboard: Brownfields Environmental Renewal and Economic Revitalization Environmental Reparations Urban Treasure or Urban Nightmare Environmental Aspects on Preserving Historic Urban Areas Week 8: Natural and Cultural Landscapes and Tourism WWW: Cultural Landscape Foundation (Read all significant links) http://www.tclf.org/whatis.htm Protecting Cultural Landscapes http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/TPS/briefs/brief36.htm Blackboard: Protected Cultural Landscapes Hawaiian Cultural Landscape Heritage Eco Tourism Ecotourism and Cultural Tourism Greening Scottish Tourism Week 9: Thinking Globally and Acting Locally WWW: Cultural Landscape Foundation http://www.tclf.org/landslide/katrina.htm Historic Green New Orleans http://www.historicgreen.org/historic_green.php Combining Preservation and Sustainability in the Big Easy http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51894 UNESCO World Heritage List http://whc.unesco.org/en/about/ http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/ http://whc.unesco.org/en/280 Blackboard: UNESCO US-UNESCO Louisiana Rebirth Plan 7

New Orleans: Historic Preservation vs. Katrina Biggest Brownfields Week 10: Non-Western Approaches to Preservation and Conservation WWW: National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers http://www.nathpo.org/(Read all significant links) Department of Energy Environmental Policy and Guidance http://homer.ornl.gov/nuclearsafety/nsea/oepa/policy/airfa.html Rescuing Cairos Lost Heritage http://www.islamicamagazine.com/Issue-15/Rescuing-Cairo-s-Lost-Heritage.html Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center http://www.bjchp.org/english/whoweare.asp A More Indian Approach to Conserving Heritage http://www.hindu.com/2004/11/06/stories/2004110617640300.htm Ise Temple, Japan http://witcombe.sbc.edu/sacredplaces/ise.html Blackboard: Ask First Intangible Cultural Heritage in Indonesia Designer Heritage: Israeli National Parks and Politics (Case Study Paper Due) Week 11: The Perspective of Ecological Footprint Analysis WWW: Ecological Footprint Quiz http://myfootprint.org/ The Greenest Building http://www.thegreenestbuilding.org/ Blackboard: Review the already posted Case Studies and Midterms. Book: Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth (Discussion will be on the Case Studies and Midterm Papers. Instructor will begin Blackboard discussion for the last week.) Week 12: Final Exam on Ecological Footprint Analysis and historic preservation. About the Instructor: I have a Ph.D. in Historic Preservation from Tulane University. Prior to attending Tulane University I completed a Masters in Urban Planning (specializing in Environmental Planning), a Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation, and a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Policy. Environmental Conservation and Historic Preservation are interests of mine that I believe have parallel objectives assessing, planning, and managing aspects of the world that we consider important so that it may be available for future generations. I also believe that protecting environmental and historical resources is very important. Please take a moment to send me an e-mail to tell me about yourself, why you decided to take this class, and if there is anything more that you wish to know about me. I will do my best to respond to all e-mail inquires sent to me within a 24-hour period. 8

Make Up Work Policies Given the asynchronous nature of this course, the expectation is that students will be able to meet all deadlines for completing reading assignments, posting essay submissions and discussing group members submissions. Tardy postings will compromise the quality of group discussions and accordingly are unacceptable. In turn, only extraordinary or emergency circumstances will merit consideration for a deadline extension and will have to be evaluated by the instructor on a case-by-case basis. Also, please e-mail the instructor as soon as possible to explain any anticipated or missed deadlines. Honor Code All academic assignments in this course are conducted under the provisions of the Tulane University Honor Code. In particular, while students will collaborate during group discussions of the material and their work, when it comes to assembling their initial problem set/exercise/essay responses and taking module exams, students are expected to work independently. Blatant plagiarism is grounds for failure within the class and will be reported to Tulane University for appropriate disciplinary proceedings. Here is a link for information on this issue for your reference. For students that have questions as to what plagiarism exactly entails (for those of you that like to push the envelope) please feel free to look up the definitions at http://www.plagiarism.org/. Student Disability Accommodations Any student with a disability in need of course or examination accommodations should request accommodations through the Universitys Office of Disability Services located in the Mechanical Engineering Building. Please do this as soon as possible. In turn, please let me know when you are eligible for accommodation (through an e-mail correspondence) and provide a copy of your approved accommodation form from ODS to me (as well as to each professor in whose course you wish to receive accommodations). I am committed to working with the Office of Disability Services to ensure that all approved accommodations are provided. However, if you do not deliver the approved accommodation form, I will not know you have been approved to receive accommodations and will have no basis for providing those accommodations. Computer Help: Students can obtain telephone, e-mail, and [general question] walk-in assistance from the Tulane Computer Help Desk (504.862.8888, info@tulane.edu, and the help desk located on the first floor of the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, respectively) 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Central Time Zone) Monday through Friday. Acknowledgements: 9

I would like to thank Dr. Kay L. McLennan for assisting me in developing this syllabus.

10