Think Globally, Preserve Locally

You’ve heard the phrase “Think Global, Act Local” and you've seen the “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” bumper stickers. You are familiar with the “locavore” food movement, right? Well, isn’t preserving the neighborhoods and architectural fabric of your community one of the most important local acts you can commit?

When you think about it, local is everything. Local IS your neighborhood, your backyard. How do you want your community to look? Do you want it to maintain its sense of place? It’s local flavor? Or, do you want it to look like every other place across America?

We travel to see the “local” in each new place. Each place, town, and neighborhood we visit has its own distinct flavor. That will stop if we fail to commit to preserving our individual communities. The best way to ensure the integrity of each local town is to support regional preservation efforts in your community. Consider donations to your local preservation non-profit. Or, how about donating some time to helping an historic site?

Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of committing to buying local products for many reasons but let’s just don’t forget about the buildings, neighborhoods and other historic fabric that make up our communities. They deserve our attention and commitment as well.