Preservation Policy
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Protecting Boston’s Historic Resources
Historic sites—buildings, bridges, monuments, and parks—can be protected through local Landmark or Landmark District designation by the Boston Landmarks Commission. Other listings, like the National Register, offer limited protection.
Learn how designation works
Why Current Policies Fall Short
Existing rules prioritize iconic architecture and require state, regional, or national significance, leaving many locally important sites unprotected. Article 85 demolition delays offer only 90 days, often after years of planning. The result: Boston loses meaningful places, especially in minority-majority neighborhoods.
Updating Policy for Today
Preservation now advances sustainability, density, community identity, and equitable development. Policies need to:
- Recognize diverse historic resources
- Proactively identify sites to guide planning
- Balance preservation with growth and climate resiliency
How the Alliance Advocates
We work with the City and partners to protect historic resources by:
- Advocating for Article 80 & 85 reforms
- Supporting the Boston Landmarks Commission
- Engaging communities, developers, and decision-makers
- Serving on commissions like the Commemoration Commission
Our Position
We fight for policies that let Boston preserve its historic built environment equitably, sustainably, and thoughtfully, ensuring preservation serves both people and the city.
Join our advocacy
Highlights from our activity archive:
- April 9, 2024
The Boston Landmarks Commission sends a letter to Mayor Wu outlining a pattern of disregard for the Commission’s legislative mandate and established procedures and guidelines. Citing several examples, including many that align with the Alliance’s advocacy, the Commission expresses concern that the administration’s actions may create the impression that the Commission’s processes do not apply equally across all districts and properties. Read the letter below and uplift the outlined concerns, shared by the Boston Landmarks Commission and the Boston Preservation Alliance, with your elected officials and neighborhood representatives.
- February 29, 2024
The Boston Preservation Alliance submits a letter to the Wu Administration.
Between the Article 80 Steering Committee, neighborhood planning efforts and the new Squares & Streets initiative, citywide zoning changes, abolishing the BPDA, and dozens of ongoing development proposals, a lot is happening right now that will change how Bostonians experience their city. The Alliance supports thoughtful changes to our existing processes and hopes to collaborate with the Wu administration to find consensus around these objectives. Read our letter below to learn more about our concerns and suggestions. If you agree with the message in this letter, we encourage you to share it with your elected officials and express your support for more dialogue with the Alliance and the preservation community.
- February 9, 2023
The Alliance sends a letter to Mayor Wu asking for a preservation voice to be added to the newly appointed Article 80 Steering Committee. This group will advise on reforms to Boston’s development process and the Alliance feels a professional with a background in the field of historic preservation is crucial to balance development demands with the preservation of historic character and sense of place. The letter is linked and attached below.
- February 3, 2022
The Boston Preservation Alliance submits a letter to the Wu Administration outlining our Preservation Priorities. We look forward to collaborating with the new, energetic administration and working towards many of our shared goals. We have outlined our Preservation Priorities in the letter below and anticipate a robust public dialogue around these important issues.
- November 17, 2021
Boston City Council passes Docket #0296, Petition for a Special Law re: An Act Relative to the Boston Landmarks Commission. After many conversations and working sessions regarding the language of this amendment, including the Alliance, the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, preservation partners from Philadelphia and around Boston, City Councilors, and many others, a compromise was reached that will allow historic resources with significance at only the local level (as opposed to regional, state, or national as is the current requirement) to be eligible for designation as a local Landmark through the Boston Landmarks Commission. This language will now go to the State House to seek approval.
- September 8, 2021
Alliance staff is invited by City Councilor Bok to participate on the panel of experts for a City Council Working Session related to how Landmarks are designated in Boston. The proposed Home Rule Petition would change the requirement for local Landmarks to have historic significance beyond the local level; a requirement that has existed since the Boston Landmarks Commission was created. While the proposed change is relatively small (changing an “and” to a comma) members of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, who also participated in this and a previous working session, felt that the minor language change would allow projects that had already been approved by the City, but not yet built, to be subject to Landmarking where they had not been previously, and projects that are in process with significant financial investment could be derailed. They requested transition language be included for such projects. Councilor Bok proposes a compromise that exempts properties that have approved, unexpired building permits or zoning variances or are in a Planned Development Area- see the attached draft language for more details. The panelists at this working session from both the preservation and real estate communities found the compromise acceptable and will review the draft language before the matter is brought to City Council for a vote. The petition will then proceed to the State House.
- May 10, 2021
Boston City Council holds a hearing to discuss the draft budget for the Environment Department, including the Boston Landmarks Commission. Alliance Executive Director Greg Galer testified in strong support of more resources for the Landmarks Commission, stating that Boston is failing to balance growth and change with preservation. Greg adds that the Alliance believes this budget should provide the resources for three additional line items for BLC: a new staff position serving as a Community Liaison to help address inequities in preservation; funding to finally address the backlog of nearly 90 Pending Landmarks; and funding for a comprehensive, multi-year survey of historic resources throughout the city. The Alliance will continue to advocate for these additional resources as the budget process continues. Greg’s full testimony is attached below.
- April 13, 2021
Alliance staff participates in the Boston Landmark Commission’s discussion about BLC’s work plan to develop priorities and goals for 2021, emphasizing the need to enhance the city’s preservation policies starting with the overall mindset at City Hall about the importance of preservation.
- March — April, 2021
Alliance staff continues dialogue with City Councilors working on the Home Rule Petition. We begin outreach to Mayoral Candidates to discuss preservation policy concerns and changes needed.
- February 18, 2021
A working session is held to discuss the proposed Home Rule Petition to change language related to designating historic sites with local significance as local Landmarks. Alliance Executive Director Greg Galer testifies. The Alliance has provided testimony, support, and examples from other cities to advocate for this minor but impactful language change. The Greater Boston Real Estate Board joins the discussion to express concerns about the potential disruption of development projects that are in-process if a Landmark petition is accepted unexpectedly. They suggest language that would allow projects that have gotten approvals up to 20 years ago to be exempt from Landmarking under this new legislation. Others on the call agree that predictability for the development community is important, but do not agree with all of the suggested language. Councilors will continue to work on the language and encourage suggestions, comments, and questions from any interested parties. Those comments can be emailed to christine.odonnell@boston.
- February 8, 2021
Alliance Executive Director Greg Galer testifies at a City Council hearing in support of changing language that would allow for historic resources with only local significance to be eligible for local Landmark status. The existing enabling legislation for the Boston Landmarks Commission has been interpreted to mean that only sites found to be significant to the state, region, or nation are eligible for designation. This small grammatical change would allow for more sites, especially those representing minority communities, to be formally recognized as local Landmarks and receive the protection associated with that designation. A video clip from the hearing is above. The Councilors present and those who testified showed large support for this language change. Councilors Bok and Breadon are leading this effort. As a Home Rule Petition, this change will next go to a working session with Councilors, and then to the State House and Governor for approval.
- December 7, 2020
City Council Committee on Arts, Culture, and Special Events hears Docket #1005. The hearing is regarding the creation of Boston Sestercentennial Commission to mark the 250th anniversary of 1776.
The Alliance coordinates with Councilor Bok, who sponsored this matter and referred it to the Committee, to prepare panelists and testimony for this hearing. In addition to celebrating Boston’s diverse history and communities during the Sestercentennial, one of the goals of the hearing is to shed light on the challenges of our current preservation policies and procedures, and to recommend a process to develop solutions to make the rules better meet today’s needs. Councilor Bok proposed the formation of a special Commission to continue the dialogue on these issues and the Alliance anticipates close engagement, especially concerning the policy conversations. The Alliance urges City Council to fund a comprehensive study of the impacts Boston’s historic resources have to the city’s economy, tourism, affordability, walkability, etc. as well as potential climate impacts to these resources. This study will inform future decisions about larger policy, budget, and narrative changes needed with local government.
To view testimony from Greg Galer, click here.
In the News
Update: February 29, 2024
The Boston Preservation Alliance has submitted a letter to the Wu Administration.
On May 1, 2022, Boston celebrated the 200th anniversary of incorporation as a city at the Old South Meeting House.
The Boston Preservation Alliance is Boston’s primary, non-profit advocacy organization that protects and promotes the use of historic buildings and landscapes in all of Boston’s neighbor
The Alliance works closely with the Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC), which resides within the Environment Department at the City, to further preservation efforts in Boston.
