Historic Preservation: Perpetually Misunderstood

Hoffman says that the stereotype of historic preservationists as single-minded NIMBYs is untrue, and the real issue preservationists are working with is "how to manage change":

"The difficulty arises in deciding which things to maintain. As projects like the High Line prove, all old structures, given the right amount of effort, funding and thought, have inherent potential for greater symbolic meaning and economic value. Due to resource scarcity, however, everything can’t be saved."