out with the old, in with the new

from new york times article, "lost in the new beijing: the old neighborhood" (27 July 2008) by nicolai ouroussoff:

it is a familiar pattern in american cities. the sad truth, as any architectural historian knows, is that poverty is often good for preservation; poor people lack the resources to tear down and rebuild houses every generation. once an affluent homeowner moves into a faded landmark, the first thing he or she does is bring in an army of restorers - or bulldozers. preservationists, who tend to have limited economic clout, strike a faustian bargain: better to save the basic architecture and let others worry about what goes on inside. breaking the pattern without aggressive government intervention seems almost impossible.