Preservating the history or destruction for growth?

At some point, only a certain number of historical buildings can be preserved. Demolitions experts are becoming more popular. I think that redevelopment will happen no matter what a society chooses, with time.

call me a hopeless romantic, but i am all for preserving the past. there are exceptions, but they are pretty few and far between for me.

i have always been fascinated by old buildings. when my parents bought the farm on which my brother and mother still live the house was well over 100 years old. it is now about 150 years old. i love visiting there. it has been extensively remodeled inside, most of which it badly needed. they have even enclosed the two side porches to make new rooms and built a new porch on the front where there was none. but it still looks like a lovely old farm house.

i know that there is cost involved. and i realize that the cost to refurbish and remodel can be steeper than that of tearing down and building new, but the new buildings never have the character and craftmanship of the old ones. we are losing not only our history, but our appreciation for real pride in work as buildings become more and more cookie-cutter models.

How wonderful it is that most areas in the US have set aside "green" areas where no building is allowed, so our grandchildren won't have to go to museums to see trees and grass. There are areas proclaimed historical, meaning that they can be maintained as they are or were, but neither demolished nor altered in any way other than for safety. I'm really glad that preservation efforts have been supported.