Save More Diverse Places

Older places tell our story—the story of a city, a community, and a nation across time. They reflect who we are and how we arrived there. They can imbue us with self-knowledge, understanding, and, sometimes, pride. They can make our cities more welcoming and inclusive places, with a strong community foundation. They can bring us together, help us learn from our mistakes, and inspire us to be better toward one another.

These powers of place to inform identity and create community are particularly important in the United States. Americans are bound together not by blood or common ancestry but by a commitment to the same democratic ideals and the democratic story we tell ourselves. So we have to ensure that all Americans can see themselves in it.