In contrast to the gentrified historic centers of Europe and the US, old quarters in less developed parts of the world continue to be marginalized – dwarfed by sprawling megacities and bypassed by modern life.  What does urban heritage mean for the inhabitants of these places?  What relevance does the past have for the future?  This lecture will explore such questions, considering the experience of Sana'a, Yemen and other sites.  

Michele Lamprakos is trained as an architect and historian, with a specialty in cultural heritage and the Islamic world.  She lectures at the School of Architecture, Preservation, and Planning at the University of Maryland-College Park, and is owner of PALIMPSEST LLC, a design and consulting firm dedicated to rethinking older buildings and sites.

This lecture is sponsored by the Thomas Jefferson Society of Architectural Historians.