Presented by Historic Districts Council | Click here to learn more and register
AIA Credit $50; General $35 | Friends / Seniors $25 | Students Free
Manufacturing has long been an integral part of New York City’s success, with businesses, makers, suppliers, and many others creating a rich network that provides for the city and world. From the Garment District to historic industries lining the New York Waterfront, these places imbue neighborhoods with an irreplaceable character while also providing crucial jobs and goods. But today, manufacturing feels squeezed between a growing call for more housing, vastly increased real estate prices, and the slow loss of industries to other places. What is the preservation community’s role in preserving manufacturing, both the historic places that many of these industries inhabit, as well as the industries themselves?
HDC’s 2026 Conference will examine this complex topic with discussions among legacy businesses, new makers and artisans, economic development officials, historians, architects, developers, and many other stakeholders.
Panel 1: Practitioners and Community
Who is doing the work of advocating for industries and individual businesses, especially in neighborhoods where manufacturing has historically been an anchor? This panel features current manufacturers who will discuss how things work currently including some of the battles they’ve faced to preserve their communities and their businesses.
Panel 2: Developers and LDCs
How has industry survived and thrived in New York City and what role have historic industrial buildings played? This panel will feature voices who have successfully created spaces where businesses continue to make things. What obstacles have they faced and how have they rehabbed historic structures to continue providing a nucleus for manufacturing and makers?
Panel 3: The Future?
Our final panel will be a wide-ranging conversation on the future of manufacturing in New York City and preservation’s role. What role does nostalgia play in preserving these places? Should adaptive reuse of industrial buildings for new uses be considered a win? In an ideal world, what do we need to have industry thrive in historic locations?