“What is historic, and worth saving, varies with the beholder, but some definition is urgent. Simply put, “historic” means “old and worth the trouble.” It applies to a building that’s part of a community’s tangible past. And though it may surprise cynics, old buildings can offer opportunities for a community’s future.“

“Mapping threats to cultural heritage in the Middle East and North Africa makes it clear that much of our past, the ‘Cradle of Civilization’, is in imminent danger of destruction. With priceless artifacts and millennia of history lost and imperiled, teams of heritage experts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have been working tirelessly to track the scope of the plunder thus far. This map seeks to aid efforts to protect heritage by providing a foundation for identifying #CultureUnderThreat in the broader context of terrorist activity in the region. It shows, sadly, the clear march of destruction by Daesh and its sympathizers and illustrates where deliberate attacks on heritage are occurring and remain threatened. This phenomenon of heritage threatened by terror groups is not limited to the activities of Daesh. Cultural sites across the MENA region have been targeted by a variety of terror groups and violent extremist organizations across the Arab world. Although Daesh is capturing the headlines, they are just one of the many groups targeting heritage in the region.”

“Long, long, long before the first Old World visitors arrived in the Caribbean at the end of the fifteenth century — triggering the huge demographic and cultural shift that shaped the region’s modern history — the islands of the Antilles were home to hundreds of thousands of indigenous peoples. The Caribbean’s Taíno (sometimes called Arawak or Lucayan) and Carib populations were devastated by war, disease, and forced labour inflicted by early European colonists. But the heritage of these First Peoples persists: in their DNA, still detectable in the modern-day populations of islands like Puerto Rico, in place names like Jamaica and Tobago, in cultural practices — and also in archaeological sites and artifacts found across the region. And, of course, they are still with us: there are small but thriving Carib (or Kalinago) communities in Dominica, St Vincent, and Trinidad, the indigenous population of Guyana is growing, and in countries like Jamaica and Cuba there’s a recent interest in identifying and celebrating elements of First Peoples’ culture that have quietly survived the centuries.”

“The marina almost looks like it’s been taken from a brochure of Caribbean clichés: tucked into a naturally sheltered corner of the huge Simpson Bay Lagoon — the most singular topographic feature of the island of St Martin — it forms a neat, self-contained square of interlocking pathways tiled in terracotta and laid out around the perimeter of the waterfront like the arcades of a cloister. Three of its four flanks are populated by unassuming traditional buildings which house the boutiques, gift shops, galleries, and restaurants that give this quartier its distinct feel."

“Against that backdrop, Downtown Miami’s historic “main street” is getting a makeover. Flagler Street, home to the highest concentration of historic buildings in downtown and a commercial base that’s seeing major traction amid a rapidly growing population, will soon come be come to outdoor cafes, improved sidewalks and crosswalks, new shade trees, and off-street valet parking intended to reduce automotive congestion and enhance pedestrian mobility.”

“Museums across Minnesota and Wisconsin are developing cultural programs for people with Alzheimer's and dementia. Designed to help stimulate past memories and provide a welcoming social space for patients and their caregivers, the programs, collectively called SPARK!, include art tours, painting classes, and even dance.

So far, ten museums are participating in SPARK!, which works in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association. According to Smithsonian.com, the primary goal of the programs is to “use artwork and other sensory input to help stimulate long-term memory retention among patrons.”

“A Florida-cracker style cottage near Daytona Beach, two mid-century modern houses in the Gainesville area and a Kissimmee monument with rocks from all 50 states are among the Florida properties that are newly-listed on the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places.”

“This excerpt is from the NAHB Production Group's documentary currently in production, "Endangered History: Preserving our Landscapes". Structures are the landscapes of our history...homes, buildings, factories...each one tells the story of who we are, and were, as a people. Sadly, we are losing a bit of our history, of ourselves, as well. BUT, the US National Park Service is working to preserve these dying histories; using innovative technology the Historic American Buildings Survey, Historic American Engineering Record, and Historic American Landscapes Survey programs are creating a digital historic record.”

“The New York Public Library just released a treasure trove of digitized public domain images, everything from epic poetry from the 11th century to photographs of used car lots in Columbus, Ohio from the 1930s. Over 180,000 manuscripts, maps, photographs, sheet music, lithographs, postcards, and other images were released online Wednesday in incredibly high resolution, and are available to download using the library's user-friendly visualization tool.“

“You could pay $118 on Amazon for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s catalog The Art of Illumination: The Limbourg Brothers and the Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry. Or you could pay $0 to download it at MetPublications, the site offering “five decades of Met Museum publications on art history available to read, download, and/or search for free.”

“Hurley has already tried to sell the property, but found no takers, so instead he'll give it to the person who writes the best 250-word essay about why they should be the new owner of the Temple Theatre.

It's not charity, as Hurley is collecting $100 per entry and has set a 3,500 minimum of entries, ensuring he'll get his asking price. If he doesn't get at least close to that many, he'll refund the money. So far, only 200 people have submitted essays, but he isn't worried.”

“The “Grand Pompeii Project,” was created to preserve Pompeii's “intricate mosaic tiles, bathhouses and even graffiti.” As part of the initiative, six newly restored villas reopened to the public last week, reports Jareen Imam for CNN. The villas offer a peek into the past at the Unesco World Heritage site. The newly restored sites include a merchant's lavish house, a thermal bathing structure and a business that sold fabric. One of the most buzzed-about restorations is a specially designed laundry house called the Fullonica di Stephanus.”

“The traditions of making North Korean kimchi and Arabic coffee are among 20 practices newly recognised by Unesco, the UN's cultural agency.

Other customs that made the cut include classical horsemanship in Austria, folk dances in Peru and Romania and a Namibian fruit festival.

Unesco announced the new additions to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list on Wednesday.”

“Another part of his interest is in drawing attention to the buildings themselves, in hopes that some can be restored and used again. Holubow says some of these places are too damaged to be repaired, and should be brought down. But others could be saved and enjoyed, if only people fought for them.What's unique about this work, he says, is that "these places that were never deemed as significant sites -- they were almost deemed the opposite -- we found value in those places."

“ICCROM has long proposed and implemented programmes in collaboration with generous partners to help people struggling to preserve their cultural heritage, as a means of clinging to and preserving their own identity even when difficult circumstances force them to emigrate. It is precisely then that cultural heritage, both of the countries of origin and of the lands of refuge, can and must become the common ground for sharing knowledge and mutual respect. Heritage can help overcome the unavoidable difficulties of living together, and it can foster diversity.”

“For 36 years, documentary filmmaker Aviva Kempner has shed light on the lesser-known stories of Jewish-American heroes. Her newest film, Rosenwald, tells the story of Julius Rosenwald, who, together with Booker T. Washington, built more than 5,300 schools for African-American students across the Jim Crow South. The film shows across the country this fall and winter.”

“Cultural architectural treasures in Italy are crumbling because of a lack of funds to maintain them. New models are being developed to finance the restoration of these sites. Can crowdfunding save the country's heritage?”