[OldDartmouthMark]

Many interesting points here.

I agree about the ramparts. However I do wonder why they had such resounding success there, yet have only appeared to have limited success in preserving notable buildings in the core of the city.

So, would it be accurate to say they had more success in preventing development than actually saving heritage buildings/architecture (facades)?

But it seems like it must be a difficult job to save old buildings due to lax rules, and basically the ability of an owner to be able to do whatever they want with it, as long as it doesn't consist of a safety risk to the public (as I suppose it should be their right to do so, given that they are the ones investing -or not- in it, or at least they hold the deed).

Our history is indeed more a concept than a concrete thing, and everybody has different ideas as to what constitutes valued history and what does not. It appears that most people like to see a nice old building, but not many actually have much of an interest beyond that.