Faye Messner

Background

About Faye Messner

I am a graduate of the Historic Preservation program at Penn with interests in historic preservation planning and policy's intersections with real estate development and architectural history. I am passionate about history and the ways that historic places can drive economic development while preserving their cultural and aesthetic values. I am eager to put everything I have learned throughout my time in Philadelphia to use in Northern California. I am enthusiastic to expand my network in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area.Research and Coursework:My thesis explores the relationship between transit-oriented development (TOD) and historic preservation planning and policy to understand how these two initiatives can coexist. I focus on municipal planning and conclude that with thorough planning and robust preservation incentives, historic places may contribute to successful, dense, walkable, and affordable transit-oriented development. However, many historic urban neighborhoods embody the desired characteristics of TOD. Thus, preserving the character of pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use, dense, and affordable historic neighborhoods is vitally important for achieving smart growth goals.Thesis Link Here: coursework has touched on architectural history, city planning, real estate development, GIS, and social justice issues. For my studio project, I had the privilege of working with the residents of Selma, Alabama, and my Penn preservation classmates to envision ways that historic preservation tools can be used to promote economic revitalization in Selma's historic downtown, which is rich with Civil Rights history. My time at Penn also enabled me to explore City and Regional Planning courses focusing on design and development and downtown revitalization and management. In addition, I took an incredibly enriching real estate course at the Wharton School that challenged me to think like a developer. I can’t wait to put all that I have learned to use as I begin my career in historic preservation.