"I recently did a presentation at a statewide preservation conference a couple weeks ago, and the person that was introducing me for it introduced me as a very 'controversial figure' in the field, specifically because I was focusing on being people centered. And so that was the focus of the presentation - was essentially when I'm focusing on the book about the ways that historic preservation traditionally is often focus"
"Policy and law are weighted heavily towards auto dependence. And the mirror between my field and yours is quite striking. So when I read your preface and you're like, the profession doesn't want to be people-oriented, we're focused on other things. And I was like, that tracks I guess with a lot of the stuff that we're working on too."
Jeremy Wells' book examines how historic preservation can be reoriented toward people-centered approaches. The preservation profession traditionally focuses on other priorities rather than the emotional and psychological impacts of historic places on individuals. Wells' work has generated controversy within the field, with colleagues labeling him a controversial figure for advocating people-centered preservation. Environmental psychology's impact on the built environment remains difficult to legitimize within preservation circles. The discussion explores how classical architecture intersects with broader cultural issues, examines differences in preservation approaches across cultures, and draws parallels to transportation infrastructure's struggle to prioritize people over auto-dependent systems.
#historic-preservation #people-centered-policy #environmental-psychology #preservation-profession #built-environment
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