FROM THE EDITOR.

• Author: Kiernan, James Patrick

The preservation and conservation of cultural heritage has long been a principal concern of the OAS, as it has been of UNESCO and more recently of the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank. With this particular focus, these organizations have been better able to approach problems of urban renewal, employment generation, tourism development, commercial revitalization, and arts promotion. Because the preservation of the Hemisphere's physical heritage affects the economic and social well-being of nations in so many diverse ways, international organizations have found it a useful vehicle for their development efforts.

This issue of Americas examines the restoration of the historic center of Lima, Peru. To consider this coastal capital's experience over the past forty years is to reflect on the economic and social forces that have laid waste to many of the city centers of our nations. Lima's recent efforts promise success in revitalizing that city's architectural legacy, and hold out hope for other large urban communities in the Americas.

In Panama, renovation programs are of a unique sort. We learn about a private effort...