Urban Archaeology, Municipal Government and Local Planning ─ Preserving Heritage Within the Commonwealth of Nations and the United States

Improving the relationship between archaeology and local government represents one of the next great challenges facing archaeology –specifically archaeology done in urban settings. Not only does local government have access to powerful legal tools and policy mechanisms that can offer protection for privately owned archaeological sites, but because local government exists at the grassroots level, it is also often closer to people who have deep knowledge about the community itself, about its values, and about the local meaning of the sites most in need of protection. This partnership between archaeology and local government can also provide visibility and public programing for heritage sites.

This book will explore the experiences, both positive and negative, of small and large cities globally. We have examined programs in the Commonwealth of Nations (formerly known as the British Commonwealth) and in the United States. These countries share similar perspectives on preservation and heritage, although the approaches these cities have taken to address municipal archaeology reveals considerable diversity. The case studies highlight how these innovative partnerships have developed, and explain how they function within local government. Engaging with the political sphere to advocate for and conduct archaeology requires creativity, flexibility, and the ability to develop collaborative partnerships. How these archaeological partnerships benefit the community is a vital part of the equation. Heritage and tourist benefits are discussed. Economic challenges during downturns in the economy are analyzed. The book also examines public outreach programs and the grassroots efforts to protect and preserve a community's archaeological heritage.

?Sherene Baugher, Ph.D., was the first City Archaeologist for New York City (1980-1990). Since 1991, she has been a professor at Cornell University affiliated with Cornell’s Departments of Landscape Architecture, City and Regional Planning, and the Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies. Her research on class, ethnicity, gender, and inequality focuses on 18^th and 19^th century sites with a special focus on New York sites. She has co-edited two other books for Springer, Archaeology and Preservation of Gendered Landscapes (2010) and Past Meets Present: Archaeologists Partnering with Museum Curators, Teachers, and Community Groups (2007).

Douglas R. Appler, Ph.D., AICP, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Historic Preservation at the University of Kentucky. He is a former practicing city planner whose research emphasizes innovation in the relationship between local government and historic resources. He received his Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. 

William Moss coordinates municipal archaological heritage management for the City of Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage site. He was appointed Chief Archaeologist, the first position of its kind in Canada, in 1985. More than two hundred projects carried out under his supervision have generated an important body of knowledge that has been widely communicated to the city’s inhabitants, as well as contributing to the conservation and development of numerous sites. Laval University﹐ where Mr. Moss is a sessional lecturer, awarded him an honorary Ph.D. for his contribution to the knowledge of, the protection and the development of Quebec City’s rich archaological heritage.