ARC 386M.25, ARC 327R, CRP 392C.6, LAW 396W
T 2:00PM-5:00PM, BTL 104
Open to all SOA Majors and Minors, Public Affairs students, Geography students, Anthropology students, History students, and Museum Studies students
Instructor: Kelly Little (kelly.little@austin.utexas.edu)
Who decides what gets saved — and what gets demolished? This course examines the legal and advocacy frameworks that shape historic preservation in the U.S., from federal statutes and constitutional takings doctrine to the landmarks commission and city council meetings where a property owner’s application is heard. Topics include the National Historic Preservation Act and Section 106 review, tribal consultation, due process, state and local ordinances, design review, legal remedies for violations, and the financial tools that make preservation possible.
Students work with primary sources — statutes, regulations, and case law — alongside applied assignments drawn from real practice: drafting a consultation letter, evaluating a commission hearing, and researching how preservation law operates in a jurisdiction of their choosing. The course brings in practitioners from federal, state, municipal, and nonprofit preservation organizations as guest speakers throughout the semester.
No legal background required. Open to students in planning, public affairs, law, real estate, archeology, history, and related fields