Regina Binder

About Regina Binder

I am a strategic advisor, planner, and preservationist whose work bridges the worlds of policy, place, and people. For over three decades, I’ve helped communities navigate complexity—whether through climate adaptation, heritage conservation, or destination development—always with the goal of fostering decisions that are grounded, inclusive, and enduring.What has set my work apart since my 1989 master’s thesis on the Dune Shacks of Cape Cod is a deep respect for the intangible values embedded in place—memory, identity, belonging. These aren’t incidental to preservation or planning; they are the foundation. I’ve learned again and again that places aren’t products, and my practice is shaped by that belief.As Principal of The Binder Group, I guide individuals, nonprofits, and public agencies through planning and permitting challenges, especially in historic districts, coastal zones, and community development contexts. Projects have included reimagining Montevideo’s historic train station, developing cultural routes in Peru to ease pressure on Cusco and Machu Picchu, and shaping Provincetown’s Local Comprehensive Plan. I’ve also been invited by the World Bank to present on my integrated approach.In 2024, I founded the Micro Neighborhood Alliance (MNA)—a nonprofit initiative that grew out of my local experience with FEMA compliance and the emotional toll of climate adaptation. MNA brings clarity and calm to complex issues like floodplain regulation and elevation planning. Our approach is deeply human-centered and rooted in the belief that adaptation begins with empathy, not fear.I am the Strategic Planning Director for Trove Tourism Development Advisors, where I help governments design destination strategies that center cultural integrity and long-term sustainability. Presently, In Cabo Verde, I lead work to build a sustainable yacht tourism economy that protects both livelihoods and the character of the islands. In Barbados, we are strengthening their attractions and providing strategies to increase youth visitation. Across all my projects, I bring a deep understanding of place—its identity, layers, and lived experience—allowing me to work at both the systems level and the scale of everyday life.Across all my roles—including as longtime Chair of the Provincetown Community Compact—I remain committed to the idea that change happens when people feel heard, equipped, and connected to where they live. If this resonates with you, I’d welcome the chance to connect.

Experience

1. Director of Strategic Planning

   Trove Tourism Development Advisors

   May 2022 — Present

   At Trove, I lead strategic planning efforts that support sustainable tourism development rooted in local identity and long-term resilience. My role bridges destination branding with deep community engagement—ensuring that the places we work with are not defined by what they sell, but by who they are.Currently, I am leading work in Cabo Verde to develop a sustainable yacht tourism economy—one that protects marine ecosystems while creating meaningful economic opportunity. This work builds on decades of experience I’ve had working with host communities in coastal and heritage-rich regions around the world.In every project, I approach destination development not as a marketing exercise, but as a cultural and environmental strategy. I ask: How can tourism serve the place, rather than shape it? What are the community\'s own aspirations, and how can we help bring them into alignment with economic planning?My work with Trove draws on years of fieldwork and systems thinking—balancing global strategy with local nuance, and treating every destination as a place with memory, meaning, and future potential.

Education

• Vassar College

  BA, Art History

  1979 — 1983

• Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation

  MS, Historic Preservation

  1988 — 1990

Skills

• Non-Profits
• Economic Development
• Management
• Community Strategy
• Market Research
• Editing
• Public Relations
• Project Planning
• Research
• Public Speaking
• Urban Planning
• Strategic Planning
• Marketing Communications
• Budgets
• Community Outreach
• Community Development
• Proposal Writing
• Sustainability
• Historic Preservation
• Government
• Nonprofits
• Project Management
• Sustainable Development
• Social Media
• Community Engagement
• Marketing Strategy
• Social Media Marketing