About CPF and the Awards

Held in conjunction with CPF’s 2026 Annual Conference in Riverside, the 2026 Mission Inn Preservation Design Awards Ceremony and Reception will spotlight excellence in historic preservation in a setting that reflects the very spirit of the work being honored. This special evening brings together award recipients, conference participants, preservation leaders, and supporters from across California to celebrate outstanding preservation projects and leadership through the Preservation Design Awards and President’s Awards.

Founded in 1978, the California Preservation Foundation (CPF) is California’s statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of historic places and cultural heritage. Through education, advocacy, and community-centered programs, CPF supports the people, projects, and policies that keep California’s historic resources vital and valued. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.

Sacramento Historic District Plans Project Team

Owner / Client
Sean deCourcy – City of Sacramento

Preservation Director
Carson Anderson – City of Sacramento

Principal
Ruth Todd – Page & Turnbull

Sacramento Historic District Plans

The Sacramento Historic District Plans is the winner of a 2020 Preservation Design Award for Cultural Resource Studies. Award recipients are selected by a jury of top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, and history, as well as renowned architecture critics and journalists. The Award will be presented on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at an online awards ceremony. Tickets and sponsorship options are available at californiapreservation.org/awards.

Read more about the Preservation Design Awards

About this project

Amid a thorough participatory public process, Historic District Plans were prepared for 27 of the 30 historic districts listed on the Sacramento Register of Historic & Cultural Resources. The 430-page document summarizes the historical and architectural significance of each district and provides design standards to help manage change in the districts in a way that preserves Sacramento’s history and character.

Based on extensive historic research and a comprehensive survey of each district, individual historic contexts, significance evaluations, periods of significance updates, lists of character-defining features, and an inventory of contributing and non-contributing resources were prepared. Using this information, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, and public input, design standards common to all of Sacramento’s historic districts were developed. Additionally, customized design standards for each individual district, were developed to ensure that the unique characteristics of each neighborhood will be preserved and enhanced.

The Historic District Plans were unanimously approved by City Council in December 2019 with support from a broad cross-section of the community.

Two historic white wooden houses with ornate trim and front porches, surrounded by greenery and a black iron fence. A banner overlays the image announcing a preservation award for Sacramento Historic District Plans.
A group of five adults gather around a wall display with images and diagrams, as one man points to a section and discusses it with the others in a bright, modern room.
A group of adults, mostly women, examine a display board with photos and colored stickers at a public meeting or workshop; others stand and discuss in the background.
A page from a city planning document shows text about alley infill principles and guidelines, with two images: a diagram illustrating building placement and height, and a photo of modern multi-story houses next to a shorter, older house.
A person wearing a backpack stands on a sidewalk, looking at a pink Victorian-style house with potted plants, stairs, and a British flag near the door. Trees provide shade along the quiet street.
A tree-lined path leads to a domed white building partially hidden by greenery, on a sunny day with a clear blue sky.
Four vertical panels show a red brick building, the California State Capitol dome, a Victorian house, and ornate stone carvings, illustrating Sacramentos Historic District Plans. Text reads: Sacramento Historic District Plans.