Sense of Place: Why Does Heritage Matter?

If you read our blogs, or visit our webpage, you will notice that VHF likes to use the phrase “sense of place”. What exactly does that mean? Simply put, it is the character of a neighbourhood that gives it an identity. It is the elements that distinguish the feel of one neighbourhood from another. It is often why people are attracted to live there, it influences how people choose to live, and affects the manner, method, and pace those people choose to live their lives. The buildings in a neighbourhood are a huge part of its sense of place as they help influence who wants to live, work, and play there.

Heritage buildings contribute to the social fabric that make up a sense of place because they are places that people identify with. Often used for way finding and meet up points heritage buildings are usually remarkable buildings which many people know about, even if they don’t know the exact history. The Dominion Building at 207 West Hastings is a great example as an identifiable building, even if not everyone knows what has transpired over the building’s 100+ year history. However, if you mention a large yellow and red building across from Victory Square, it is pretty easy to figure out where you need to be. It is also easy to identify the downtown waterfront with the impressive train station turned transit hub, Waterfront Station, and the rows of converted industrial buildings.

Heritage buildings also often become cultural centres. The Vancouver Art Gallery in its longstanding courthouse home, the Cultch once an open learning facility, and the Waldorf Hotel: all examples of buildings that have seen communities grow up around them. The character, life and use of buildings made them central to encouraging people to want to work and live in these neighbourhoods.

Even if we don’t call it “sense of place”, it is clear that preserving heritage is important to Vancouverites. Not only did we find this during a recent research study (see the paper here) but it is clear from the community response to news of a threatened building. Most recently, the adorable storybook style home lovingly referred to as “The Hobbit House” on King Edward was put up for sale.

There was immediate outcry in social media, in letters to the editor, in calls to VHF offices, and rumours of potential petitions to ensure that this unique home was not torn down. Even before anyone even mentioned the idea of demolition, citizens knew it was important to keep that idea off the table. This mobilization also occurred in force when the Waldorf Hotel appeared to be threatened. Public engagement ensured that this building made it onto the City of Vancouver’s Heritage Register, a step towards preserving it for future generations. The reason people get so impassioned by these buildings, is not necessarily because they are pretty to look at, but because they hold personal memories and the stories that make up the history of our city, which ground our modern lives.

So get out into your neighbourhood and take a look at some of the buildings that define where you live. What would The Drive look like without all those character storefronts? Would Kitsilano still be charming without all the Craftsman homes? Would downtown still feel like downtown without the stately Hudson’s Bay or the neon clock of the Vancouver Block? Don’t think about conserving heritage as something we do because we should, think about it as retaining neighbourhoods and cultivating community pride.

To read the full Conserving Heritage in a Green and Growing City click here, or download the infographic here