snefnoc: I realize that you make such rude remarks about people because you have no respect for preservationists. Beyond that I care not to venture. I was asked for my personal view, and I gave it--I post here to express my own opinions, not to act as a spokesperson for SOCA or the Railroad Museum.
As to my own opinion of why those buildings deserve preservation: PROFIT. History is marketable. People are interested in it, and the easiest way to draw those interested in history is with a concrete, physical object: typically, a building or other structure. They catch your eye and hold them. Despite the disparaging remarks I hear about Old Sacramento, millions of tourists come through every year because they like being around old buildings. Restored and reactivated, people will be able to interact directly with those buildings. If you ever get a chance to tour the inside of those buildings, jump at the chance! The interiors of the larger shops remind one of a cathedral, with their tall window openings or long views: a Railroad Museum exhibit on the Shops described them as "Cathedrals of Labor."
Now, some might argue that you can make more profit by knocking down those Shops and building new buildings there--but that isn't necessarily the point. There will be new buildings, and tall ones, in that neighborhood, and the needs of those who like tall, new buildings will be met within that neighborhood. But those who like historic structures, and are drawn to them, which is a good chunk of the populace, will find nothing that appeals to them in the Railyards if the Shops are destroyed. Essentially, if the buildings aren't preserved YOU'RE LOSING MARKET SHARE. And it's a kind of market share that no other city in the region can duplicate. It makes us unique, sets us apart, and helps to identify Sacramento as the historic and cultural core of the region. It is literally impossible for competing nearby cities to construct a new building that can compete with that. In other words, not just market share but EXCLUSIVE market share.
This is true all over: cultural heritage and history tourism is a big source of income. Beyond simple tourist dollars, it also brands a city in people's minds, cements a city's identity. What would San Francisco be without Coit Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, or cable cars? This is true on a worldwide basis: in Beijing, for example, what a loss it would be if the Temple of Heaven or the Forbidden City was destroyed to make way for condominiums. Beijing is a city with 3000 years of history. A lot of China's historic structures were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, but China's historic architecture certainly counts as a national treasure.
Taken from the Wikipedia entry on Beijing:
Quote:
In recent years, the expansion of Beijing has also brought to the forefront some problems of urbanization, such as heavy traffic, poor air quality, the loss of historic neighborhoods, and significant influx of migrants from poorer regions of the country, especially rural areas.
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And here's a bit from the Wiki entry about the Beijing city wall:
Quote:
As the call for a restoration of ancient culture grows stronger and Beijing becoming the host city of the upcoming 29th Olympiad, there have been many demands for a complete or partial reconstruction of the original "凸"-character-shaped city defence system. The recently completed reconstruction of Yongdingmen is one such example, and will most certainly be followed by others in the near future. A restoration of the city's Inner and Outer city moat system which will become part of the public waterway network, reconstruction of the three gates on the south of the city's central axis (and possibly all of the nine gates and three corner guard towers of the Inner city) are already on being discussed by officials. However, most of the original sites of the gates have become sites of major developments since their dismantlement, such as Fuchengmen, Chaoyangmen, and Xuanwumen, which are now busy roads with high rises. This presents much difficulty if the city government were to start reconstruction work there. There have also been some alternatives of reconstructing them at a nearby site where it is less crowded. Some of the more likely projects are the restoration of the remaining fortifications, and the reconstruction of parts of the city walls, which are less daunting and require much less funding. Between 2001 and 2003, the remaining section of the southern Inner city city wall's eastern sections located in the south of the Beijing train station were completely restored and opened to the public as the "Ming dynasty city wall site public park". Between 2005 and 2006, the remaining sections of Beijing eastern Inner city city wall's south section were restored and merged with the "Ming dynasty city wall site public park". Currently, the Southeastern corner guard tower is being restored, and when completed will join the southern wall east section and eastern wall south section as the "Ming dynasty city wall site public park". Restoration of Beijing Ancient Observatory's sections of the city wall and its enemy sight tower are under planning, as well as Zhengyangmen's barbican[28].
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I'm sure Beijing is a bustling, modern city. But it is also a city with three millenia of history--TWENTY TIMES the historic legacy of Sacramento. So, yes, I'd suggest that Beijing's move towards modernity also includes recognition, appreciation, preservation and marketing/promotion of its historic sites.