Can Modern Architecture Ever Gain Favor in Historic Neighborhoods?

Here's an anecdote that might give you some sense of how strongly San Francisco values its architectural history.

An architect wanted to build on some land that his family owned. Once upon a time, a church sat on that property, but it had since burnt down. When the architect tried to get his plan approved, preservationists opposed the new building. The no-longer-existent church had been particularly welcoming to gay neighbors, they argued, and the land should be kept as is to preserve this sliver of history.