Grad Program in Historic Preservation?

Ok. This photo on the main page for the master's degree program in historic preservation at Cornell university?

So adorable! They're all hugging the historic building! "Oh historic building, we love you!"

I'm playing with the idea of applying to this kind of program, as well as to human geography or library science. I only just started looking at them today, but the more focused nature of something like this compared to a more general human geography program is a little reassuring to me. I think I have trouble with really open-ended areas of study; they make me feel a little adrift. Not that I'm discounting the option.

One of the things that the websites for these historic preservation programs talk about is revitalizing or redeveloping neighborhoods. That's exactly the kind of thing I'd like to be involved with. I don't like the seeming potential for preservation folks to come in as some kind of outside authorities and start making prescriptive comments to locals; that's way too much like urban colonialism. But there does seem to be a focus on community-involved design. I wonder if that means the entire community, or just people in a position of enough privilege to actively engage with a planning process. I wouldn't want to be some kind of corporate markety-person pushing one-sided gentrification in the guise of preservation and revitalization. Is there room for someone with an anthropological, holistic, whole-society perspective in this kind of preservation and development paradigm?

Historic Preservation? Urban Planning? Cultural Heritage Management?

How many times have I said "If only there was a 'vintage HVAC systems for dummies' type of book that would help me understand how something like a movie palace air-conditioning system works?"

Here's a course description from the Eastern Michigan University historic preservation program curriculum:

"This course explores technologies and systems associated with buildings, primarily American, from the 19th century through the early 21st century. Students study how building systems work together to mediate between humans and the environment, examine the relationship between historic preservation and sustainability, and describe a building using the Historic American Buildings Survey outline format."

This make me want to giggle with glee!

*sighs* There are so many different things I want to do, and I don't know if this is the right path either. But one campus has a dual masters program in historic preservation and urban planning; maybe that would let me have the kind of positive effect on public policy and urban built environments that I would like to.

Or am I simply finding this stuff so exciting because cultural geography programs are stressing me out and this is just something different?