Continuing in our ongoing set of interviews with leaders of Charleston’s constellation of civic-minded organizations, this week’s blog features Charleston native Winslow Hastie, Chief Preservation Officer of Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF).
Some people may think of Historic Charleston Foundation as it relates to historic preservation and the Charleston peninsula, but it seems HCF has gotten involved with some of the larger issues of the region, such as transportation. Can you touch on how your organization’s focus or mission relates to the question of livability for the larger Charleston region? The field of historic preservation has become much more interdisciplinary and multi-faceted over the last couple of decades. The focus has shifted away from merely saving individual buildings (though we still work on that!) towards larger, more complex issues related to livability, urban design, smart growth, and sustainability. The vibrant historic environment of Charleston does not operate in a vacuum, obviously. So many disparate elements affect its long-term health, and HCF has risen to the occasion to address the evolving needs of the community.
It is also important to emphasize that our mission explicitly states that the organization is tasked with preserving and protecting the cultural character of Charleston and its Lowcountry environs. We are not just peninsula-focused. Our reach extends throughout the Lowcountry. More recently, we have been engaged in work focused on the urban-rural edges of our region where tensions have arisen over the appropriateness of development extending further into our rural hinterlands. This includes areas such as Cainhoy, the historic Ashley River corridor, and John’s Island. The need for advocacy in these areas comes from the incredible growth that our region has seen in the last couple of decades.
In terms of our focus on transportation and mobility, that grew out of a strategic planning process that Historic Charleston went through in 2013. We basically looked at every major livability/planning issue in the region, and quickly determined that transportation was the lowest common denominator linking them all. So: let’s focus on that! We recognize that we are not going to “solve” this problem, but we did feel that HCF was in a unique position to frame the issue and bring a diverse set of stakeholders to the table.
Transportation is a huge, complex problem that is going to require the vision and resources of many different groups in the private, non-profit, and public sectors. It is, of course, a regional issue, but we are hoping to help the peninsula lead the discussion and hopefully inspire our neighbors in the tri-county area to help the entire community come up with a sustainable path for the future. The good thing is that no one debates whether or not transportation is a regional priority! Progressive change has to happen one way or another — we’re just hoping that it happens sooner and is done in a fairly coordinated way.
Question 2: Since it is how we frame our conversation, and to put you on the spot, is there something specific that you would do “…if You were Mayor?” Our current focus on setting priorities for a new administration is fairly simple. Over the last few years Charleston has been forced to really analyze many of the issues that relate to explosive growth and our increasing appeal as a major international tourist destination. In this amazing city of engaged citizens, we have no shortage of vision; and we love to express our perspectives and hopes for the future at public hearings, workshops, and visioning sessions. On occasion our collective vision has been collated and distilled into a variety of plans focusing on particular issues or geographic areas of the city.
We already have the:
More recently, Historic Charleston Foundation has been working with the city of Charleston and other community partners on several plans that we think should shape the priorities for a new mayoral administration. These plans include the Peninsula Mobility Report prepared in November of 2014 by transportation expert Gabe Klein. This report states simply: “Charleston must decrease driving and parking while increasing use of public transit, cycling, and walking.” This sounds easy, but turning this statement into reality will require a very significant outlay of public investment in infrastructure for transit and complete streets.
Recently proposed updates to the Tourism Management Plan resulted from a large community effort involving a very engaged Committee and many public meetings over the past year. As tourism has grown substantially over the last decade, it clearly was time for a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of tourism and how it impacts the livability of the city. Great ideas are included in this report, such as creating remote parking and a new Visitor’s Center on the upper Peninsula, but just talking about it won’t suffice.
Also, in the coming months, there will be a report by well-known architect and urban planner Andres Duany concerning the design review process and the Board of Architectural Review. As we are seeing such a huge influx of new development in Charleston, the design and quality of these buildings is of the utmost importance. Historic Charleston Foundation is co-sponsoring this plan with the City, and the report will be completed by this summer.
As is typical with any plan, they are only as valuable as our commitment to bringing them to fruition. Their implementation will require a combination of non-profit advocacy, private sector engagement, and the political will of our leaders. Plans that merely sit on the shelf reflect a lack of ambition and true vision in a community, and at this point in Charleston’s history, we cannot afford that.
It will be very tempting for any future mayoral administration to flex its muscle and try to put its fingerprints on new plans and new priorities — however, it is critical for the new Mayor to understand the importance of all the plans that already exist. We have a strong tradition of proactive engagement and community foresight, so we all need to step up to the plate to turn our progressive vision represented in these many great plans into a reality. That’s what I would do if I were Mayor!