Question

why does the author claim that its important to preserve historically significant buildings?

architecture
the modern philosophy of \out with the old, in with the new\ has been used and abused for years. often times, it has more to do with making a profit rather than a legitimate need for something new. across the united states, beautiful, historic architecture is frequently destroyed to make way for malls, high - rise apartment buildings, grandiose homes, and other structures. unfortunately, little is done to protect our history.
over the past several years, it has become increasingly common for big - name developers to tear down victorian, craftsman, and colonial buildings. this destruction is often performed with the thought that it is the property that holds the true value, not the structure that sits on it. likewise, homeowners have begun to value their propertys location over the house they have spent many years living in. little regard is given to the painstaking details and craftsmanship that went into these buildings, nor the innate beauty of hand - carved woodwork and ornamentation. \out with the old, in with the new\ has resulted in people no longer appreciating the history and artistic integrity of our countrys oldest buildings and failing to realize that once \the new\ is brought in, \the old\ is lost to us forever.
it is bad enough that developers and private citizens are blind to the beauty around them, what is worse is that local governments refuse to step in and prevent this destruction. cities and towns need to stand up to large developers that flash money around in the name of progress. rather than allowing developers to tear down old buildings simply to put up new ones, local governments could enact ordinances to preserve their areas architecture. if an old building is unusable or unsafe as it is, the structure could be restored instead of demolished, not only would this save one - of - a - kind architecture, it is also an extremely environmentally - conscience concept because less building material is used and wasted

Explanation:

The text criticizes the 'out with the old, in with the new' philosophy for profit - driven destruction of historic architecture. It argues that developers and homeowners undervalue the history and craftsmanship of old buildings. It also points out local governments' inaction and suggests that they should enact ordinances to preserve architecture and restore rather than demolish old buildings for environmental and historical reasons.

Answer:

The authors claim it's important to preserve historically significant buildings because they hold historical and artistic value, and their destruction is often profit - driven. Preservation can also be environmentally friendly as it reduces the use and waste of building materials.