How US Law is the Cause of Social Justice Issues in Historic Preservation Practice

"Social justice issues come in many forms, including the disproportionate impact that the Covid-19 virus and police brutality have had on African American populations. The law can be both a friend, and often a foe, for achieving justice. In the case of police brutality, qualified immunity gives police immense discretionary power to engage in behavior that would otherwise be patently illegal for ordinary citizens. In the case of historic buildings and places, we have the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) (US federal law, usually mirrored at the state level) that also helps to sustain social injustice. Unfortunately, this association between the APA and social justice is often not discussed, especially in the realm of cultural resources."

Wells, Jeremy. "How US Law is the Cause of Social Justice Issues in Historic Preservation Practice," Conserving the Human Environment (May 31, 2020).