At the end of 2025, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation released an updated version of its first-of-its-kind report, Analyzing New York City Landmark Designations, A Review of Mayoral Influence and Policies: 1965-2025, covering nine Mayoral administrations.
For the first time ever, the report catalogued every landmark designation in New York City since the law took effect in 1965, and analyzed how each Mayor performed with regards to historic preservation. The results were stark.
Under Mayor Eric Adams (2022–2025), landmark designations reached an all-time low — not reflecting a gradual trend over six decades, but a steep drop in recent years.
In spite of promises to ensure that preservation reached every corner of the city and reflected every community, designations were dramatically down in all categories and each section of the city.
“Outgoing Mayor Adams was the worst Mayor in history for new landmarks designations since the landmarks law was passed,” according to the organization, “with the only Mayor even coming close being the fiscal crisis–wracked Abe Beame (1974-1977) — though even he demonstrably outperformed Adams.”
Several of Adams’ predecessors designated 10 or more times as many buildings per year, including his two immediate predecessors, Mayors Michael Bloomberg (2002-2013) and Bill de Blasio (2014–2021), each of whom designated landmarks at more than four times Adams’ rate.
The few designations that took place scrupulously avoided historic sites that were endangered or vulnerable, and instead leaned on largely honorific choices — sites that faced no current or foreseeable danger, where other protections already existed, or where landmark designation wouldn’t guarantee permanent protections.
Village Preservation‘s Executive Director Andrew Berman will present the findings of the report, and the leaders of cosponsoring preservation organizations will discuss the findings, their experiences seeking landmark designations, and their thoughts about the future during an online Zoom presentation January 27th.
Preregistration is required for the “Sixty Years of Landmarks Designations: Has a Golden Age of Preservation in NYC Ended?” forum on January 27 at 6 pm via Zoom online here. A Q&A with members of the audience will follow.
Read more about historic preservation in New York State.
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