Every place has a history and a past, but preserving the best of it and keeping it relevant doesn’t just happen, you have to work at it. On this show we’re very bullish on keeping Baton Rouge vital economically and socially, but today we’re talking about looks – keeping Baton Rouge beautiful. We’re not being shallow and fixated on appearance, cities can be more attractive economically and socially as they age – with the right approach to beauty and preservation.

Michael Desmond

Michael Desmond is an architect and scholar in the LSU School of Art and Design, with a particular expertise in the history of architecture. For the past decade, Michael has been studying the architecture of the historic LSU campus. Since receiving a grant from the Getty Foundation in 2008,  Michael has produced an architectural history on the buildings, a technical report documenting the external condition of the buildings, a large public exhibition that traveled the state throughout the university’s 150th anniversary in 2010 and a book.

Fairleigh Cook Jackson

Fairleigh Cook Jackson is Executive Director of Preserve Louisiana, a statewide preservation organization was founded back 1963 with the purpose of promoting local interest in the heritage of Baton Rouge and the state of Louisiana. Preserve Louisiana, which was formerly known as the Foundation for Historical Louisiana, works to preserve historical structures and promote cultural awareness, while also encouraging economic growth that revitalizes our communities through historic preservation.

Out to Lunch Baton Rouge is recorded over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard . Photos by Karry Hosford .

More about Baton Rouge preservation here.