Why Preservation Matters

Why X Matters Series

by Max Page

Commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act, a critique of the preservation movement—and a bold vision for its future

Every day, millions of people enter old buildings, pass monuments, and gaze at landscapes unaware that these acts are possible only thanks to the preservation movement. As we approach the October 2016 anniversary of the United States National Historic Preservation Act, historian Max Page offers a thoughtful assessment of the movement’s past and charts a path toward a more progressive future.
 
Page argues that if preservation is to play a central role in building more-just communities, it must transform itself to stand against gentrification, work more closely with the environmental sustainability movement, and challenge societies to confront their pasts. Touching on the history of the preservation movement in the United States and ranging the world, Page searches for inspiration on how to rejuvenate historic preservation for the next fifty years. This illuminating work will be widely read by urban planners, historians, and anyone with a stake in the past.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Heritage Preservation, Social Commentary, Reference, Architecture

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 2016

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the "Why X Matters" series, Max Page undertook a highly personal explanation and overview of the preservation field within the realm of public history. Written for the educated, but non-specialist population, Page lays bare the areas for praise and censure within the preservationist field. I found his chapter discussing the environmental impacts of preservation to be particularly surprising and food for thought. (Spoiler: LEED certified structures may not be as great as we think!). From start to finish, it is a highly readable and engaging work, and gently incorporates perspectives and theories from some of the current heavy hitters in Pubic History.

[Susan Dietz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act, Page argues that preservation has the capacity to connect human experience and contribute to making a more just world. The book is also a personal reflection on beauty and a multitude of thinkers on justice and public history. I found much to ponder in the book and broad applications in every day life. A short and worthwhile read.

[Margaryta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why Preservation Matters Both accessible and relevant to today's society, Page touches not only upon what one initially thinks of when hearing of preservation, namely the aesthetic value of buildings, but he goes much further to discuss the problematic economic points that have become more relevant in the 21st century than they have ever been. The most fascinating were the last two chapters, 6 and 7, the 6th touching upon how one should approach the preservation of problematic places, the sites of atrocities and horror that some countries don't want to acknowledge. The 7th, meanwhile, returns to aesthetics by discussing how one can come to terms or at least begin to consider what it is about buildings that makes one seem more worthy of preservation than another. Informative but not overbearing, Page's voice is easy to follow and compelling, making this a book that is perfect both for the casual and curious reader, as well as serving as a starting point for an art history student or budding preservationist.

[Deidre · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent meditation on the nature of historic preservation and how it is more than just saving old houses. Page tackles the issues of gentrification, market-driven preservation, adaptive re-use, and the necessity of preserving places where troubling moments in history occurred. The book is informed by his years as a professor and his study of cities around the world.

This book comes at a time when issues of affordable housing, sustainability, and the future of cities directly relate to preservation. It's also a time when around the world looting and bombing had led to the destruction of some of the great monuments of history.

Although it sounds a bit high-brow, the book is very accessible partly because Page's enthusiasm and desire to educate his audience on the key issues shines through.