Cities Should Preserve Old Buildings

CitiesShould Preserve Old Buildings

Oldbuildings located at the heart of major cities across the world playa significant role in social development of nations. Most of thesebuildings, due to their historic relevance, serve as the criticallandmarks in their respective locations. For this reason, peopleplace a high value on those buildings and view them as elements thatpreserve the pride and history of the community. However, section ofthe world population has no interest in preserving these buildings.Demolition of these old buildings is on the rise, with an aim ofsetting up new and modern structures. Some proponents of demolitionargue that these buildings are no longer useful, owing to theiroutdated designs. On the contrary, some cities around the worldpreserve these structures and use them as main points of reference.To understand the need to safeguard old structures, it is importantto consider their intrinsic value in the community. In this regard,the discourse highlights the significance of preserving ancientbuildings given their cultural implications, intrinsic value,economic worth, and their association to the tradition of a city.

Oneof the most predominant element of old buildings is their intrinsicvalue. Ancient structures preserve ancient history of the worldcities. One of the main elements that make these buildings relevanttoday is the preservation of history of the community (Penicaet al. 884).For example, Egyptians have been able to preserve old pyramids usedin ancient times. These pyramids remind the Egyptian community oftheir history, especially how ancient pharaohs valued thesebuildings. The same element applies to prewar buildings in most partsof Europe, which remind people of events that are of historicsignificance. Destroying these buildings therefore is like doing awaywith structures that preserve history (Ryberg-Websterand Kinaham 121).The current generation requires these buildings as key sources ofhistoric events, which took place in ancient times. In most cases,authorities use old buildings as resource centers and museums.

Moreover,ancient structures attract visitors. It is imperative to note thatduring the old times, people built their houses differently from whatindividuals witness today. Builders utilized marble, old bricks andother materials that are rare today, which means these structuresresonate well with the idea of visiting. The different levels,mixtures of polishes, awkward styles, and the remnants of otherusages attract people to ancient buildings. People visit thestructures for homey, patriotic, warmhearted, or reassuring feelings,but regardless of the visitation reason, they contribute towardseconomic growth. This means that some of these structures can createjobs and enhance the development of a city. Egyptian pyramids arecenters of attraction and key features of tourism in Egypt (DerManuelian and Schineider 14).These aspects provide the reason cities should preserve oldbuildings.

Itis imperative to note that without an extensive exploration, it ishard to determine the value of a building. This means that tearingdown a building can have detrimental effect, for example, if thestructure has a cultural implication to the society. Once a citydemolishes a building, there is no chance of renovating it or to savea historic site. Some things will have value after many years, forinstance, the development of numerous events shape the elements of aplace. People can only know the historical significance of a site byrelating with structures that define the occurrence of an event. Thismeans that for cities to avoid destroying the unknown value orcultural implication of an antique site, they should safeguard oldbuildings against demolitions.

Onthe other hand, old buildings preserve city’s antique culture andtraditions. Presence of ancient structures, most of them associatedwith famous events ensures cities retain historic culture as well asmanage to transmit the same to the current and future generation(Bard24).These buildings serve as pride of cities where people can tracevaluable information. Old-fashioned structures provide theinformation on the materials that were available in ancient times.People can trace rare hardwoods such as heart pine in these buildings(Beenet al. 18).Different standards and designs used in constructing old buildingsalso serve as a learning platform to the current generation. In otherwords, there is a wealth of information in these buildings, which isthe city’s heritage. This means that the structures allowindividuals to witness the artistic and cultural elements of a place.Furthermore, in reminding people of the history of a city, thesebuildings help a city maintains its sense of tradition anddurability. Therefore, authorities ought to preserve these structuressince even the future generation may need the information therein.

Inconclusion, old buildings preserve city’s culture and heritage,which is a noble resource that requires preservation. The currentgeneration gets most information about ancient history from thesebuildings. They are strategic locations for cultural and heritagecenters such as museums and other resource centers. In this case, oldbuildings attract local and foreign tourists hence contributing tothe economy of the country. Besides, the rich information helps intransmitting cultural values from one generation to another. Wheneverpeople visit an old building in the city, it reminds them of a majorevent that took place in that location. This aspect makes oldbuildings the significant resources, which cities should preserve.

WorksCited

Bard,Kathryn A. Anintroduction to the archaeology of ancient Egypt.John Wiley &amp Sons, 2015.

Been,Vicki, et al. “Preserving History or Restricting Development? TheHeterogeneous Effects of Historic Districts on Local Housing Marketsin New York City.” Journalof Urban Economics,vol. 92, no. 7, 2016, pp.16-30.

DerManuelian, Peter, and Thomas Schneider. “Towards a New History forthe Egyptian Old Kingdom.” Perspectiveson the Pyramid Age, vol.5, no. 3,2015, pp.12-17.

Penica,Milja, Golovina Svetlana, and Vera Murgul. “Revitalization ofHistoric Buildings as an Approach to Preserve Cultural and HistoricalHeritage.” ProcediaEngineering,vol. 117, no. 12, 2015, pp.883-890.

Ryberg-Webster,Stephanie, and Kelly L. Kinahan. “Historic Preservation and UrbanRevitalization in the Twenty-First Century.” CPLbibliographyvol. 29, no. 2, 2014, pp.119-139.