Here are recent and current key projects:

Historic resources are valuable aspects of our city. They provide a sense of place and give San José its individual character. Capturing San José's history has been an ongoing effort since the mid-1800s. In fact, you can read our webpage about the History of Historic Preservation in San José.

In fall 2017, the City Council approved the Historic Survey Strategy. This work is proceeding under the guidance of the City's Historic Preservation Officer with assistance from consultants. Staff are currently working to identify more of the untold stories of the City's historic resources — including places, people, and buildings — and is particularly seeking the perspectives and stories of community members who have not traditionally had a voice in expressing the City's history.

What is a Historic Context?

Historic contexts are typically based one or more themes, a geographic area and periods of significance. They describe the broad patterns of historical development of a community that are represented by the physical development and character of its buildings.

What is a Historic Survey?

Historic resource surveys identify older buildings and areas that help to tell the story of an important person, community, group, or the city as a whole, and may include buildings that exhibit significant architecture or landscape design.

Historic surveys look at what exists on the ground through fieldwork and find out the stories behind places through research and community engagement.

Survey data provides baseline information on potential historic resources to guide long-range planning decisions, inform project review, and support City policy goals. Being included in a survey does not automatically lead to historic designation for a building or neighborhood. Rather, surveys are an information-gathering tool.  

CONTACT

For questions on any of these projects, please contact:
Dana Peak, Historic Preservation Officer: dana.peak@sanjoseca.gov.