Dodson & Flinker incorporates historic settlement patterns and designs as an essential component of its plans for new conservation and development. A region’s historic patterns, landscapes and architecture should be one of the key guiding elements for new community planning and development. This will ensure that new development fits in with local character and continues centuries old building and land use traditions. Understanding historic patterns and design traditions is vital in developing new community plans and guidelines that blend in with a region’s historic sense of place. Preserving specific historic sites and landscapes is also an important element of Dodson & Flinker’s work, including several historic landscape restoration projects for the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Strategies to protect landscapes surrounding historic sites have been developed for the Waterford National Landmark in Virginia and for seven cultural sites in the Berkshires of Massachusetts including Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow and the Clark Art Museum.