Photo courtesy of Sydnee More Photography.

We are now accepting session proposals for PLACES 2025!

As PLACES heads to Gig Harbor this October, we’re excited to feature the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area throughout the conference. We’re thinking about how we all, as place professionals, can expand the reach of our work to support creative and trade economies, foster place-based belonging, and build resiliency and livability in our industry and neighborhoods. Considering these ideas from multiple perspectives and industries, we’ve selected four questions to guide our call for proposals.

We invite you to join us in addressing or even just continuing to thoughtfully ask these questions by submitting a proposal for a presentation, panel, or workshop. Proposals are due March 28.

Guiding Questions

  1. Maker economy. How can we empower local makers, tradespeople, and cultural industries to both strengthen our local economies and ensure the preservation of cultural heritage for future generations?
  2. Place-based belonging. How can we continue to expand the reach of our work to foster a greater sense of belonging in the preservation fields, our communities, and our downtowns?
  3. Resiliency and livability. Given ongoing challenges our state is facing, what practices can we adopt to ensure the resiliency and livability of our historic neighborhoods?
  4. Evergreen ideas for the Evergreen State. What are our tried-and-true preservation practices, community organizing principles, and place governance models?

We also welcome submissions covering evergreen topics, including foundational preservation practices, community organizing principles, and place governance.

You can find more information on the process and timeline at the link below. If you have questions about the form or process, or if you’d like support in refining your proposal, please reach out to us.

Submit your proposal by March 28