Read More on Travel<\/p>\n
Gill previously told Newsweek<\/a> that existing buildings deserve greater attention, saying: \u201cIt\u2019s the existing building stock you have to keep your eye on\u2026refreshing that stock and keeping them relevant, part of the sustainability legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n The American tension between preserving old buildings and clearing them for new development predates the modern preservation movement. Historian Whitney Martinko has traced debates over historic preservation in the early United States to the period between the 1780s and 1850s, when Americans argued over whether historic structures should remain part of the new nation\u2019s landscape or give way to private profit and real estate development.<\/p>\n In one 19th-century example cited by the Smithsonian magazine, John Hancock\u2019s house in Boston was sold and torn down for new residences, while Mount Vernon was saved by preservation advocates.<\/p>\n Yet recent years have also seen renewed interest in restoring and repurposing older buildings. Projects such as New York City’s Flatiron Building, which is being converted into private residences<\/a>, reflect a broader embrace of adaptive reuse as developers and preservationists seek new life for historic structures rather than replacing them.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Leeswann Bolden, a licensed architect and solutions engineer at Graphisoft, told Newsweek that financial considerations have long driven America’s demolition-first approach.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are several factors that have contributed to America\u2019s \u2018tear it down\u2019 mentality, with the primary motivation being financial,\u201d Bolden said. She noted that the mindset dates back to the Industrial Revolution, when rapidly growing populations demanded fast and inexpensive construction, leaving little focus on longevity and preservation.<\/p>\n Even today, Bolden said, many developers view rebuilding as more economical than retrofitting because evolving building requirements\u2014from accessibility standards and elevators to HVAC systems and parking demands\u2014can make new construction financially easier.<\/p>\n Miles Smith, a licensed architect and senior industry growth and strategy manager at Graphisoft, said the roots of the mentality stretch back even further. According to Smith, America’s development was shaped by the urgent need to grow quickly, making speed a defining characteristic of its building industry.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were a brand-new colony, looking to grow quickly,\u201d Smith told Newsweek. He said the rise of stick-frame construction accelerated development but also contributed to a culture of largely disposable buildings.<\/p>\n Smith added that the modern construction economy is built around a continual demand for new development. The current system, he said, depends on new housing construction, and changing the industry’s mindset could threaten existing stakeholders.<\/p>\n Bolden warned that the greatest danger of a demolition-focused approach is the loss of America’s story.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most important concern with a \u2018tear it down\u2019 mentality is that we lose much of our nation\u2019s historic narrative\u2013which is especially prominent right now as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Bolden noted that many churches, traditional downtown districts, civic buildings, movie theatres and other community landmarks have already disappeared in the pursuit of something perceived as newer or better.<\/p>\n Smith echoed those concerns, warning that some developers are attempting to bypass preservation protections that were created over the past century. If that trend continues, he said, communities could lose more places that foster social connections and cultural identity, replacing them with \u201clifeless architecture built to maximize profits instead of celebrating our history and culture,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Despite those concerns, Smith said the U.S. has made meaningful progress in preserving historic structures over recent decades. He contrasted America with parts of Europe, where buildings are often adapted repeatedly over centuries and may be living their third, fourth or even fifth life.<\/p>\n Bolden also pointed to European cities that continue to use centuries-old stadiums rather than replacing them after only a few decades. \u201cThis says a lot about the values we, as Americans, prioritize versus our European counterparts,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Smith believes preserving historic structures is ultimately about safeguarding cultural identity. America’s built environment reflects generations of influences brought by immigrants and settlers.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cThere isn\u2019t one distinct \u2018America\u2019 style of architecture because immigrants brought their native architectural styles here and replicated them,\u201d creating what he describes as a \u201cpatchwork quilt\u201d of architectural styles that reflect the nation\u2019s identity as “a melting pot of customs, histories, beliefs, and ideologies.\u201d<\/p>\n To ensure that American architecture survives another 250 years, Smith argued that the country must embrace adaptive reuse more intentionally. He warned that if developers continue prioritizing short-term financial returns over preservation, more historic buildings could be replaced by arenas, stadiums and shopping centers.<\/p>\n \u201cBy committing to adaptive reuse for the sake of preservation,\u201d Smith said, \u201cthe country’s architecture will be able to tell a continuous story over time of \u2018what it was and what it became.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Do you have an architecture or design-related story to share? Let us know via s.kim@newsweek.com, and your story could be featured by Newsweek.<\/p>\n Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Sirena Bergman<\/a> and Gray R. Thomas<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, some architects are warning that the country risks…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":743013,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[230,228,226,227,14955,229,88,21],"class_list":["post-743012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-architecture","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-buildings","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-united-states"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=743012"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743012\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/743013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=743012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=743012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=743012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2171152426.jpg\"\/)
A Debate Rooted in American History<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Updated-Flatiron-lit-up.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Look](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-176506473.jpg\"\/)
Losing the Nation’s Story<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2257663980.jpg\"\/)
Preserving Cultural Identity for Another 250 Years<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-833780008.jpg\"\/)
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