We see stories of dying cities everywhere, from Detroit to Yubari. But Marco D’Eramo believes that around the world a form of “urbanicide” is happening as a result of Unesco granting World Heritage Site status, translating urban life into a tourist attraction at its own expense. Despite its effects, this apparent violence is committed “in all good faith and with the loftiest intentions,” D’Eramo declares, “to preserve examples of heritage for the benefit of humanity.” But what is the ideal balance of preservation and evolution in our cities today?