When Patrons of Center City Preservation Branch Out: Allies & Adversaries in Adaptive Reuse

Dr. Fallon Samuels Aidoo is an Assistant Professor of Real Estate & Historic Preservation at Tulane University. Her research and teaching of design and development builds knowledge of real estate reinvestment, restoration, rehabilitation, and retrofit by governmental, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit organizations—and the lack thereof in places predominantly occupied by Black, Indigenous, and immigrant populations.

Her analyses of preservation and development appear in the Journal of Environmental Studies & Science, Preservation & Social Inclusion, Spatializing Politics: Essays on Power & Place, and several forthcoming edited volumes: Discussions of Architectural Theory, the Routledge Handbook on Cultural Heritage and Disaster Risk Management, and Future Anterior: An International Journal of Historic Preservation History, Theory and Criticism. Her investigations also yield heritage nominations, Historic Context Statements, and NHPA Section 106 Reviews, most recently for FEMA.

Dr. Aidoo has advanced economic, social and environmental justice in historic preservation for 20 years+ by serving on government commissions (e.g. Louisiana National Register Review Committee, 2022-), nonprofit boards (e.g. Louisiana Landmarks Society Trustee, 2028-2020), anti-racism task forces (e.g. ACSP, 2021-), and many design juries and teams (e.g. LA African American Places Project, Restore Black Wall St). She also plans equitable and sustainable development of historic places and properties as the Principal of studio RxP, a preservation consulting firm. For clients such as the African American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard and Greenwood Chamber of Commerce members, she has secured grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, and eligibility for historic tax credits and hazard mitigation incentives.

At Tulane School of Architecture, Dr. Aidoo teaches studios and seminars in real estate development and historic preservation. She recently held the Jean B. Boebel Endowed Professorship in Historic Preservation as Assistant Professor of Planning & Urban Studies at the University of New Orleans. She previously taught architecture and urbanism at Northeastern University, Harvard, and MIT while researching hazards to historic structures for VREF, AECOM and DMJM. Dr. Aidoo holds a PhD in urban planning (Harvard), M.S. in architectural history (MIT) and B.S. in civil / structural engineering (Columbia University).

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This program is part of the Changing the Face of the City speaker series, a collaboration between the Weitzman School of Design and The Carpenters' Company, and curated by Francesca Ammon. Throughout this year, we will present a series of programs and events that explore the intersection of historic preservation and urban planning/renewal through the lens of equity and social justice. “Changing the Face of the City” was the phrase renowned urban planner Edmund Bacon used to describe Philadelphia’s renaissance in his classic 1967 book Design of Cities, unintentionally alluding to the literal consequences of many preservation, planning, and renewal efforts.

If you require any accessibility accommodation, such as live captioning, audio description, or a sign language interpreter, please email news@design.upenn.edu to let us know what you need. Please note, we require at least 48 hours’ notice. If you register within 48 hours of this event, we won’t be able to secure the appropriate accommodations.