Part I will highlight the differences and similarities among various types of historic districts, from urban to rural, and discuss the impact of recent legislative changes on their management and preservation. It will also provide an overview of the diverse types of historic districts, reasons for district nominations, and the benefits nomination brings, underscoring their strategic importance in maintaining historical integrity.

The session will also address contemporary challenges faced in nominating and managing historic districts, including the impact of new housing laws on historic district management. Through a roundtable discussion, panelists will delve into evolving reasons for nominations, the changing political climate of preservation, and more. The program will conclude with a Q&A session, offering attendees a chance to engage with the speakers and gain further insights.

Part I Speakers:

Bridget Maley, Owner, architecture + history, llc
Bridget has contributed to a wide range of award-winning historic preservation projects, including significant sites in western national, state, and local parks, as well as many in historic campus settings. Her award-winning work has ranged from documenting monumental, Classically-inspired, masonry buildings to small-scale, wood-frame, rustic comfort stations in parks. She has served on the San Francisco Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, is a former board member of the Society of Architectural Historians, and currently serves as a Trustee of San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. Bridget completed her Master of Arts degree in Architectural History at the University of Virginia, where she has remained active, formerly participating on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the School of Architecture.

Sara Delgadilllo, City Planning Associate / Preservation Planner, Los Angeles City Planning
Sara is an associate city planner for Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources. As staff for the City’s municipal historic preservation programs, she supports the development and administration of HistoricPlacesLA, Los Angeles’s historic resource inventory system, a customization of the Arches open-source data management platform, and ancillary projects that feature historic places reflective of the City’s ethnic and cultural diversity. Sara is a founding member of Latinos in Heritage Conservation, a national organization building a movement that affirms Latinx heritage through education, conservation, and leadership development.

Deborah M. Rosenthal, FAICP, Senior Attorney, FitzGerald Kreditor Bolduc Risbrough
Deborah devotes her practice to land use and environmental law and litigation. She works extensively with land use and environmental issues in California, including wetlands, endangered species, takings, historic preservation, mitigation banking, and coastal issues. She has also been involved in a variety of complex federal- and state-coordinated environmental permitting programs for large private developments, including the negotiation of development agreements and preparation of development plans. 

A major portion of her practice is devoted to CEQA, inverse condemnation, and general plan litigation in connection with land use entitlements for large residential real estate developers. She has also represented clients in complex land use litigation throughout California. Immediately before admission to the California bar, Deborah served as Executive Director of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois.

Shannon Ryan, Senior City Planner, Los Angeles City Planning
Shannon Ryan serves as Senior City Planner in Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources. She leads staff that manages the City's local historic district program (Historic Preservation Overlay Zones) and the City's historic resources inventory, HistoricPlaces LA.  She’s always been passionate about the City’s architectural and cultural heritage, and started her career working for the Los Angeles Conservancy. Shannon holds a master’s degree in Urban Planning from UCLA and a bachelor’s degree in Urban Design and Architecture Studies from New York University.

Part I Moderator:

Christina Dikas, Principal & Director, Cultural Resources Planning Studio, Page & Turnbull
Christina is a Principal and Director of Page & Turnbull's Cultural Resources Planning Studio, and an architectural historian who values the sense of place, historical perspective, and sustainability inherent in cultural resource management and historic preservation. She has extensive experience surveying, researching, and evaluating historic properties. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Christina received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master of Architectural History with a Certificate of Historic Preservation from the University of Virginia. Christina has conducted numerous historic resource surveys and has extensive experience preparing Historic Resource Evaluations, CEQA and Section 106 Technical Reports, Historic Context Statements, Preservation Design Guidelines, and other preservation planning services.

Part II will delve into standards and guidelines in historic preservation, essential for effective decision-making and design. The session will clarify basic terminology, explore the differences between standards and guidelines, and discuss decision-making types, including ministerial versus discretionary and prescriptive versus qualitative standards. It will also examine how state housing bonuses and other legislation can impact local standards.

The program will include a guide on developing and converting standards, focusing on their application across different building types and contexts. Case studies will illustrate the development and implementation of objective design standards. The session will conclude with a roundtable discussion on adapting and developing objective standards, addressing national nominations, and a Q&A segment.

Part II Speakers: