Bonnie McDonald
2020 Fitch Mid-Career Fellow
A Relevancy Guidebook for the U.S. Preservation Movement
The historic preservation movement is facing a relevancy crisis in the United States. Twenty years of experience in the field and dozens of recent interviews with peers and other preservation professionals from around the nation has led Bonnie McDonald to firmly believe in this bold statement. To be applicable in the modern world, preservation must be inclusive and be a part of the solution to tackling today’s toughest challenges such as climate change, housing and equity, diversity and inclusion. Practitioners must position preservation as a solution-based movement that the larger population – not just those inside our niche field – can support. Additionally, if McDonald believes that to remain relevant as a movement, historic preservation must provide practical, implementable solutions for those working on the ground.