The worst thing in politics is to be right and to lose. This how-to guide will give citizens who are fighting to designate a local historic district the political know-how to win the support of fellow residents and city hall. Everything is here: learning to think politically, mastering the political process; planning and strategy; campaign organizing and leadership; framing a practical vision; anticipating and handling the opposition; conducting community meetings; skirmishing with property rightists; managing issues, petitions, and public opinion; dealing with public officials; strategizing...

Politics of Historic Districts is your political battle plan in a fight to designate a local historic district. Thirty-four brief chapters cover everything you need to know about the politics of organizing a grassroots campaign and what you have to do to win. By explaining how and why historic districts are politically created, it is an indispensable resource for anyone studying or working in local preservation today.

You've established a historic district in your town Now what? Preservation Politics picks up where The Politics of Historic Districts leaves off, advising the established HPC on how to maintain momentum in their communities once the initial political campaign to win historic preservation designation has faded and the real work of enforcement begins. Schmickle goes beyond "best practices" to get to the political root of our district problems: a collective preference for putting preservation interests ahead of citizens and the larger public good. He argues that public service is the key to the...