The Preservation Institute

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Progressive and conservative politics were invented two hundred years ago, when modernization and progress were sweeping away privilege and challenging the status quo. They are no longer relevant now that modernization and progress are the status quo.

The Preservation Institute is dedicated to developing a new politics that recognizes the limits of technology and growth.

Unplanning: Livable Cities and Political Choices: The conventional wisdom says that we need strict planning to build neighborhoods like the streetcar suburbs that were common in America before anyone heard of city planning. This book uses an intriguing thought experiment to show that direct political limits on urban growth can transform our cities more effectively than planning.

The Politics of Simple Living: Our political thinking has not caught up with the unprecedented economic change that happened in America during the twentieth century, the change from a scarcity economy to a surplus economy. This book decribes a new politics of simple living that could help solve environmental problems such as global warming.

What We Believe: a summary of our point of view.

Our Publications: new ideas about economic growth, mental health care, urban planning, and other issues.

Preservation Institute Blog: shorter and more topical pieces on these subjects.

Transportation and Development Politics on the Web: links to political groups working on these issues.

Political Theory on the Web: a guide to writers who are developing political ideas that go beyond Progressive and Conservative.

Removing Freeways - Restoring Cities: a website with the histories of the freeway removals that have occurred in the United States and around the world.

The Preservation Institute
2140 Shattuck Ave., suite 2122
Berkeley, CA 94709
preserve@preservenet.com

The Natural Environment: The Social Environment