Michigan Historic Preservation Network

MHPN Monthly Webinar Series
Register today at https://www.mhpn.org/workshops/

Speaker:
Jenna Walker
Designer | Architectural Historian
Reed Walker Design Collective

Historic downtowns are among our most valuable and underutilized economic assets. They carry embedded narrative, authentic materials, and spatial qualities that no new development can replicate. But buildings alone do not drive revitalization. Intentional design strategy does.
This session makes the case that design and preservation are not separate tracks. When integrated from the earliest stages of a project, they reinforce each other, clarifying feasibility, unlocking incentives, and producing spaces that people want to return to. Drawing on environmental psychology, the experience economy, and real project examples from Michigan communities, this presentation demonstrates how thoughtful design shapes human behavior, increases dwell time, and generates measurable economic impact in historic commercial districts.
Participants will explore how the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards function as a framework for quality rather than a barrier to progress, how early preservation alignment protects access to federal and state historic tax credits, and how even modest design interventions can change the trajectory of a building and a block. The session introduces a practical field assessment tool, the Downtown Assessment Guide, designed to help preservation and downtown professionals conduct more structured building observations before scope or investment decisions are made.
Whether you work at the community, organizational, or project level, this session offers a strategic framework for treating design as infrastructure, connecting the story of a place to the economic conditions that allow it to thrive.

As we get closer and closer to the Friday awards ceremony, we're featuring another of our 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award honorees.

2026 Lifetime Achievement Award — Dan Austin, Detroit

For over two decades, Dan Austin has been one of Detroit's most dedicated and passionate historians. Through his research, writing, and photography, he has transformed how we understand the city's architectural and cultural legacy. As the founder of HistoricDetroit.org, Dan has documented hundreds of Detroit’s landmarks, both lost and still standing, ensuring they are never forgotten.

Dan does much more than simply catalog history. By championing the preservation of Detroit's built heritage, he has fostered a deeper connection to the city's identity for everyone—whether they are residents, visitors, or simply people fascinated by its unique history.

To secure this vital work for future generations, Dan recently launched the Austin Past & Future Fund. This initiative will keep the online archive accessible as a free public resource and provide educational scholarships for young Detroiters committed to uplifting their communities. The Michigan Historic Preservation Network honors his enduring contributions and lasting impact on Detroit’s history.

Our Awards Ceremony is only one week away! In the next few days, we're wrapping up this series with our 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award honorees. First up is one of Detroit's own!

2026 Lifetime Achievement Award — Rainy Hamilton Jr., Detroit

Rainy Hamilton Jr. has spent his career doing exactly what he set out to do: rebuilding Detroit one building, one block, one neighborhood at a time.

A native Detroiter and graduate of Cass Tech and the University of Detroit-Mercy, Rainy co-founded Hamilton Anderson Associates in 1994. The firm has grown into the largest African American-owned design firm in Michigan, with a portfolio that reads like a map of Detroit's revival — the Hamilton Midtown, Brush Park's City Modern Project, the Motown Museum Expansion, the Paradise Valley Cultural and Entertainment District, and many more.

Throughout, historic preservation has been central to his practice, always grounded in his belief that good design starts with understanding what's already there. He has been recognized with Fellowship by the American Institute of Architects, served on the Michigan Board of Architects, and has played a meaningful role in shaping Detroit's long-term planning through the Detroit Future City Strategic Framework. His commitment to equity and inclusion within the profession has been just as deliberate and just as lasting as his built work.

Congratulations Rainy!