History extends support

Today, building emotional buttresses

I read Lauren McCroskey's "History's blueprint" [The Reader's View, Aug. 4], on historic preservation in Seattle, with great interest. McCroskey narrowly focuses on the informational and educational values of historic preservation while lightly touching on sustainability issues. Historic preservation values cover more possibilities than just these examples.

For instance, places can have sociocultural meanings that may have little or nothing to do with informational or historical value. These meanings, which typically manifest as "place attachment," are conducive to mental well-being and are a natural process of the human experience.

The demolition or alteration of buildings and landscapes can result in a kind of mental trauma to those who have become attached to those places. For others, historic places have a metaphysical quality akin to the great "cathedrals" of nature such as Yellowstone. Thus, an argument can be made that alteration of historic built landscapes can negatively impact people's psychological well-being.

There are tangible physical benefits to the preservation of entire historic urban landscapes. In a nation where obesity has become an epidemic, built environments constructed before World War II foster greater physical activity. Higher density coupled with mixed uses and a pedestrian orientation encourage more people to walk rather than drive. Fewer people drive, resulting in lower energy consumption and reduced emissions. As has been said, the "greenest" building is one that is already built.

Many feasibility studies that include financial incentives for historic preservation, such as the preservation tax credit and Washington state's special valuation program, reveal that historic preservation can be as cost-effective as new construction, if not more so.

Not every historic building should be preserved; change is an inevitable part of history. Instead, we should make decisions that assess places holistically through a complete investigation of sociocultural, environmental and economic values. "History" is but a small part of today's historic preservation.

Jeremy Wells of Central, S.C., is a doctoral student in environmental design and planning and former Seattle resident.