Historic Preservation As A Tool Against Gentrification

From the Public Gardens to the Old South Meeting House and the Quincy Market, Boston is a city of historic landmarks. We preserve these places for their architectural beauty, their historical significance, the impact they had on society.

But what if we preserved for sustainability? Or to stand against gentrification? Or to challenge societies to confront ugly pasts?

That's the progressive preservation movement contemplated by Max Page, a professor of architecture and history at the University of Massachusetts. He says preservation is not just about the past — it's about building the more just communities of the future. In other words, he says: "Not your grandmother's preservation movement."

Max Page, MS Design program director and director of Historic Preservation Initiatives at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He tweets @milomaximpage.