Boston Preservation Alliance

Do you want to know more about the preservation tools available in Boston? Have a specific project in mind that you would like to discuss with preservation experts? Or just want to know more about how you can participate in historic preservation?

Join the Boston Preservation Alliance on Thursday, June 18 at 6:00pm!

In celebration of Pride Month, June’s Preservation Cafe is hosted by The Pryde in Hyde Park. The Pryde, a 2025 Preservation Achievement Award recipient, is an excellent example of adaptive reuse by renovating a historic school into LGBTQIA+ friendly affordable senior housing. We are excited to converse with you and members of Hyde Park Historical Society in a neighborhood that is championing its history and people.

This event is free. Registration is encouraged; link in bio.

Did you know that Boston’s Arnold Arboretum was established in 1872, making it the oldest public arboretum in North America?

Boston is one of only two cities in the nation to have green space within a 10-minute walking distance for all residents, regardless of income, age or ethnicity, according to The Trust for Public Land. In addition to providing historic and ecological value, exposure to green space improves physical and mental health. The Alliance engages with potential impacts on public assets like Boston Common, the Emerald Necklace, and the Arnold Arboretum to ensure their protection for all Bostonians.

You have a few days left to donate during Historic -month. Support our work by donating today. Learn more at the link in our bio.

According to the , half of the buildings that will be standing by 2050 already exist. That existing building stock must be taken into account when planning to reduce carbon emissions and prepare for climate change events.

The Alliance works to bring historic preservation into conversations about sustainability goals, provide resources for owners looking to retrofit their existing buildings, and celebrate the best cases of rehabilitation and adaptive reuse.

Support our work by becoming a member or donating today. Learn more at the link in our bio.

In Boston, over 40% of our area’s housing units were built before WWII. While it’s clear that additional housing is urgently needed, a critical piece in achieving our housing goals is the preservation, restoration, and reactivation of existing buildings.

There’s a desire for “missing middle housing,” represented with diverse form and scale, medium density, and walkable neighborhoods. However, many of these buildings, including Boston’s iconic triple deckers, have become effectively illegal to build as a result of modern zoning codes. As we work to modernize zoning to meet our current housing needs, preserving and reusing our existing housing is one of the best tools we have to make Boston a more livable, affordable city.

Learn more and donate to our work at the link in our bio.

Historic preservation is about so much more than aesthetics. At its best, preservation strengthens climate resiliency, supports small businesses, expands affordable housing solutions, and sustains vibrant public spaces. This , we’re taking a closer look at the ways preservation helps us achieve sustainability goals.

According to data available through ReUrbanism initiative, well over 75% of Boston’s buildings are more than 50 years old. Luckily, existing and historic buildings have an advantage when it comes meeting our climate goals as “historic preservation is an inherently sustainable practice” ().

Two major ways we see this manifest?
1. Conservation of embodied carbon.
2. Improved energy efficiency through retrofits.

That’s before we even start considering the benefits that many historic and traditional materials have over their modern counterparts.

Want to dig in deeper? Find more information at the link in our bio!

All Bostonians should see themselves reflected in the city, whether it’s through the built environment, public programming, or citywide policy. Join us for an in-person Preservation Cafe on February 25th to learn more about our work and tell us what is most important to you. RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/3x6jtv22