Hard times’ silver lining for urban heritage and polka fans
Tags: decay, decline, downturn, economy, freeway, Gastown, heritage, preservation, Vancouver
Mike’s post about silver linings to bad economic times struck a chord in my mind. One upside, as he pointed out, can be necessary structural change. A second kind of silver lining might be the preservation of buildings or land uses that in good times would be uneconomical. These could be valuable for cultural, community or heritage reasons.
Maybe I am just feeling philosophical because I spent the evening attending St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Gastown. This well loved heritage district in Vancouver has plenty of character, and is home to architecture dating mostly from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This makes it one of the oldest neighbourhoods in an absurdly young city.
Gastown photo by Sea Turtle
From the 1930s to the 1960s, … Continue Reading
