On March 27, 2024, AYON Studio Principal Angel Ayón participated in “Legacies of Redlining: Preservation and Development in Manhattan,” an interdisciplinary roundtable discussion at the AIA NY Center for Architecture.
The exclusionary “redlining” of the mid-20th century had a seemingly indelible impact on many communities in NYC and across the US, including Harlem and other neighborhoods of Manhattan, which were the focus of the evening’s discussion. Angel set the context for the discussion with a careful, honest definition of “redlining” as “government-sponsored racist policies devised by white people to oppress black people… I think it’s important, for us to have this conversation, to call it for what it is.”
The group later talked about the effects of gentrification and renewed urban investment on these neighborhoods, and how their cultural assets have been and can be retained through historic preservation advocacy. Angel specifically weighed in on how “integrity” is typically used in determining what structures warrant preservation or designation.
The sold-out event was the first in a series of borough-based conversations intended to build capacity, share narratives, and develop a collective understanding of both historical parallels and preservation paradigm shifts happening now. These talks are organized by AIANY Historic Buildings Committee and AIANY Planning and Urban Design Committee, in collaboration with Open House New York, Historic Districts Council, and inCitu. In addition to host Jessica Morris, other speakers included Chris Cirillo of Ascendant Neighborhood Development, Mary Rocco of Barnard College, Dr. Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani from Buscada, and Leah C. Johnson of Lincoln Centerhnson of Lincoln Center.