Book excerpt: Urban planners, government officials, and preservation activists are increasingly at odds as every day more and more heritage buildings are threatened with destruction to make way for urban development and revitalization. Stakeholders in these often emotionally and politically charged debates have arrived at what is potentially a solution that can satisfy all parties in the equation. Heritage covenants are a complex legal instrument involving the sale or donation of a heritage interest to a not-for-profit organization or government agency. In an unprecedented initiative, the Calgary Civic Trust, in the year 2000, brought together experts and leaders in heritage covenants from Canada, Great Britain, and the United States to discuss the future of this unique preservation instrument. This book is a result of the proceedings and focuses specifically on this sophisticated aspect of heritage preservation.