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Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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For me, it's fairly important, even if it doesn't affect my practical day to day living, I just like the atmosphere of old buildings and it gives me a sense of connectivity to past. It also grounds the sense of place and connection to history in physical structure.
I mean there are cities which are brand-spanking new with little historic architecture which are great, some cities in Japan, Canada or Australia, but even those have at least some examples.
It's a pity that many were destroyed but you can't preserve everything.
How important is it personally for you in a place? Could you live somewhere where everything was post-1950s, for instance? Do you long to walk through lanes with old houses, old structures like churches, pubs, government buildings.etc.
It's very important to me. It takes time for a place to really develop the depth and layers that make places so interesting.
That said, I do keep an open mind. I also think that a place that has been around since the 50s has been long enough to develop at least some history, or at least long enough that it's had time to evolve a bit and develop some patina. It's not the same as a place that's been around for centuries, but it also wasn't just put up yesterday, either.
How important is historical architecture/built fabric in a city to you?
Not even the tiniest bit important.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trimac20
Could you live somewhere where everything was post-1950s, for instance? Do you long to walk through lanes with old houses, old structures like churches, pubs, government buildings.etc.
I would greatly prefer to live in someplace where everything is new. That was one of the best things about living in suburban Atlanta. New houses,new stores,everything modern = great.
I pretty much grew up in a city with very little of it that is new. I would like their to be a bit more newness but at the same time, I'd want that newness to be just a good quality as the old. I can only take so much faux-brick.
It is very important to me. Our historical buildings are essential to understanding our past and a sign of commitment to our future. A city primarily consisting of modern structures, many largely prefabricated, often ends up in little commitment to its residents. My friend lived in Orlando in the 80s/early 90s. In the brief decade he spent there he witnessed whole areas of the city being bulldozed and constructed anew. Within the decade many of those same structures were again bulldozed and replaced with another round of cheap structures. Residents often migrated from one new area of the town to another in search of "the newest" area. As they abandoned the other areas the properties quickly deteriorated and resulted in whole neighborhoods undergoing significant economic change. I often wondered why anyone would want to own a house there as the areas had large transient ownership and were horrible investments for the longterm.
Cities/towns with a strong history and architecture are often the most stable and best investments. IMHO, many of the new communities can be viewed as just a metaphor for our throw-away and transient society. Too many people do not want to make a commitment to future generations by creating a strong sense of place and the result is a self-centered society that fails to come together on important issues that address the health, well being, and strength of our country.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,060,466 times
Reputation: 11862
Excellent post Lincolnian! I think people older areas are seen to have more value, and their residents are passionate about preserving their character. People who move there, like artists, for instance, often tend to value the old more, rather than Joe average who wants the biggest house for his buck.
Very much so. I watched my hometown demolish dozens and dozens of historic structures in the 1960s and 1970s in the name of urban renewal. I look at old pictures and think ... WHY???
Very much so. I watched my hometown demolish dozens and dozens of historic structures in the 1960s and 1970s in the name of urban renewal. I look at old pictures and think ... WHY???
The town I last lived in did the same. They replaced the historic buildings with an ugly concrete mall that only lasted about 25 yrs. It went into disrepair and the site, right in the center of town, is now a huge vacant lot for the past 7 years. They have a development company sharing their "vision" but in the meantime the neighborhoods surrounding this area have gone into accelerated decline, populated largely by huge numbers of renters living at or below the poverty level. It is a difficult task to attract any significant investment to the area since it is hard to convince profitable businesses capable of supporting the investment needed that they can make any money there since the majority of shoppers in the area are going to the dollar stores or discount food outlets.
I would greatly prefer to live in someplace where everything is new. That was one of the best things about living in suburban Atlanta. New houses,new stores,everything modern = great.
Ugh... that sounds horrible.
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