Historic preservation is not the answer to every urban problem. But it is part of the answer to most of them.

Cities and urban issues deserve priority consideration in this presidential race, and preservationists should help frame both parties’ urban agendas.Preservationists have already become active in the Obama campaign as evidenced by the website below.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/group/HistoricPreservationforObama

This task force HPfO (Historic Preservation for Obama) was started by Washington attorney Andrew Potts. For those of you who don’t know Andrew, he formerly worked at the National Trust where he mastered the obscure procedures to get the Trust active in the New Markets Tax Credit program.

If and when the McCain campaign has a similar preservation advocacy group within the campaign, I’ll let you know that as well.