The New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation, in conjunction with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), is pleased to announce the Adolf Placzek Fellowship for the summer of 2025. This paid fellowship is an eight-week position at the LPC and is open to graduate degree candidates in historic preservation, architecture, architectural history, American history, or a related field.

LPC is the largest municipal preservation agency in the nation and the fellow will have the opportunity to learn about all aspects of the Commission’s work as well as the work of other related City agencies. While specific responsibilities will vary, the focus of the 2025 fellowship will be on identifying landmarks at-risk of demolition due to neglect and other causes and creating an expanded database to be used for mapping and monitoring of these buildings.

In 2023, the LPC’s At-Risk Building Initiative was launched. Designed to help protect landmarks that are at risk due to owner neglect, pre-existing unknown structural conditions, and contractor negligence, the initiative focuses on early detection of risks to designated buildings, enhanced engineering oversight, increased coordination and communication between LPC and the Department of Buildings, and improved community tools. While the risk of demolition of landmark designated buildings is very low, the earlier LPC can identify potentially neglected buildings, the more likely they can be saved.

LPC currently has an extensive database of at-risk buildings. However, the agency is seeking to ensure we have accurately identified as many at-risk buildings as possible. Consequently, the Placzek fellow will, together with LPC staff, analyze various factors such as a lack of permit activity, multiple Department of Buildings violations, water cut-off data, significant unpaid real estate taxes, and other red flags to identify additional at-risk buildings. The fellow will then do an initial review of the landmarks’ condition by a survey of web map images. For buildings that appear to be at risk, the fellow will make site visits and photographically document the exterior condition of the landmarks.

The fellow will then work with LPC staff to create an improved and expanded database of the identified at-risk buildings that includes additional useful information regarding ownership, real estate tax arrears and other relevant information and work with LPC GIS mapping staff to assist in the preliminary steps necessary to map the database of at-risk buildings.

Familiarity with GIS and a New York State driver’s license is helpful.

The 8-week summer fellowship pays $4,500 and requires a commitment of 35 hours per week. The work will be done primarily in LPC’s New York City office, with some hybrid work possible.