2025 AHLP Conference
Navigating the Crossroads:
Preserving Historic Landscapes in a Transforming Urban America
Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation Annual Meeting
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
May 14-17, 2025
Indianapolis, Indiana known as the “Crossroads of America,” serves as the perfect backdrop for the 2025 AHLP Conference. Its unique position at the intersection of four major interstates — I-65, I-69, I-70, and I-74 — and its proximity to 70% of the U.S. population within a day’s drive reflect the city’s historical and modern importance as a transit hub. This centrality will be a key focus as the conference explores how themes like Crossroads/Transit, Monuments, Reclaimed Industrial Sites, Manufacturing Developments, and Parks shape the historic and urban landscapes of Indianapolis and beyond.
Indianapolis at night panorama
As a Crossroads/Transit hub, Indianapolis’s transportation networks have played a critical role in shaping its urban form and cultural significance. The conference will explore how historic and modern infrastructure influences the preservation of landscapes, focusing on the integration of public transit, walkability, and car-free spaces as essential components of sustainable urban design. Discussions will center on how the city’s evolution as a transit corridor reflects broader trends in urban growth and landscape preservation.
Monuments, another key theme, are central to understanding how cities like Indianapolis commemorate history and culture. From the iconic Soldiers and Sailors Monument to the many memorials across the city, these structures anchor the public’s sense of place and collective memory. The conference will investigate how these monuments are preserved, reinterpreted, and integrated into the urban fabric while ensuring their relevance to contemporary audiences.
The city’s numerous Reclaimed Industrial Sites offer a compelling case study in adaptive reuse and landscape preservation. As Indianapolis transitions from its manufacturing past, former industrial spaces have been transformed into public parks, cultural centers, and ecological landscapes. Participants will examine how these sites balance historical preservation with environmental regeneration, showcasing examples like Newfields and other redeveloped industrial areas that now serve as community assets.
The transformation of Manufacturing Developments into spaces for public use further illustrates the city’s evolution. Once dominated by factories and heavy industry, many of these areas now serve recreational, cultural, and educational purposes. The conference will explore the challenges and opportunities of preserving the industrial heritage of these sites while adapting them to meet contemporary needs for sustainability and community engagement.
Indiana Government Center (Credit: M. Kazem Namazi)
Finally, Parks in Indianapolis, from historic Garfield Park to modern green spaces, serve as vital examples of how public spaces contribute to urban resilience and cultural preservation. These parks not only offer recreational opportunities but also serve as ecological sanctuaries and spaces of historic significance. The sessions will delve into the history of park design in Indianapolis, highlighting ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance these landscapes for future generations.
By addressing these diverse but interconnected themes, the 2025 AHLP Conference will offer attendees a comprehensive understanding of how cities like Indianapolis are navigating the challenges of historic landscape preservation in the face of urbanization, industrial transformation, and environmental change. Through tours, presentations, and discussions, the conference will foster collaboration and innovation in the field of landscape preservation, ensuring that the past informs the future in meaningful ways.
The Children's Maze, White River State Park (Credit: M. Kazem Namazi)
Call for Papers, Posters and Student Scholarships
In order to actively contribute to the conference, please see the attached in regards to the Call for Papers and Student Scholarships.
Call for Papers and Posters
Student Scholarships
Sponsorship Opportunities
Accommodations
We are excited to announce that the Bottleworks Hotel will serve as our official accommodation for the conference. What's now a luxury boutique hotel was once part of the largest Coca-Cola bottling plant in the world. Read more about the site history here.
The hotel is pleased to offer a discounted rate for the first 20 bookings. To take advantage of this offer, guests can use the direct booking link provided below or call the hotel’s front desk at 317-556-1234. When calling, be sure to mention the Alliance of Historic Landscape Preservation Block to receive the group rate.
https://reservations.travelclick.com/112191?groupID=4420579
Bottleworks Hotel
Places to Anticipate when in Indy
The recently-opened Bicentennial Unity Plaza sits at the site of a former parking garage, immediately North of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers & Fever. This major renovation helped to commemorate the Indianapolis Bicentennial Celebration and create a space meant to bring the community together.
The Richard G. Lugar Plaza is a 2-acre civic space in the heart of downtown Indianapolis and located along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. It sits at the former site of the Marion County Courthouse, dedicated in July 1876 but destroyed in 1962 after the construction of the current-day City-County Tower.
Georgia Street is located in the heart of the Wholesale District and serves as an important spine connecting Gainbridge Fieldhouse to the Indiana Convention Center. A three-block long outdoor event venue, it is now a shared, public space with trees, specialty lighting, boardwalk-style cafes, and artwork. Ten “Hoosier Pillars” commemorate historically significant leaders here.
The Indianapolis Canal Walk was originally part of the state of Indiana’s 296-mile Central Canal project meant to connect the Erie Canal to the Ohio River. The nine miles of constructed canal exchanged hands over the years but was eventually deeded to the city of Indianapolis in 1976. The first phase of the Canal Walk was completed in July 1987 for the Pan American Games. The canal as we see it today was completed in 2001. Today – lined with primarily townhomes, condos, and apartments – the Canal Walk is a destination for city residents and tourists alike.
The Canal Walk (Credit: M. Kazem Namazi)
The Indianapolis Cultural Trail is a world-class urban bike and pedestrian path that runs through and connects each of Indianapolis’ six cultural districts. Fundraising and design for the Cultural Trail began in 2001 and, by 2013, all eight miles of the Cultural Trail were open. The Cultural Trail now crosses the White River for the first time, connecting to the new Elanco Headquarters and the White River Greenway.
White River State Park was founded in the 1980s to turn de-industrialized land into a community amenity. It includes the Indianapolis Zoo & Botanical Gardens and Victory Field. The Old Washington Street Bridge leads to the Zoo & Botanical Gardens and White River Greenway.
NCAA Hall of Champions + Central Canal (Credit: M. Kazem Namazi)
So, mark your calendars – May 14–17, 2025 – for what will truly be a spectacular event.
In the meantime, please Visit Indy!
