This book examines the afterlives of the built environment produced through early 20th century settler colonialism. The author analyses contemporary architectural preservationists’ narrative strategies to remake the histories of what were designed as racialized “European” zones – in opposition to “Indigenous” zones – as part of the documentation, preservation, and addition to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The book analyses the making of ‘white cities’ through ethnographic methods with local architectural preservationists and primary sources, such as World Heritage Committee meeting notes and World Heritage List nomination files and inscription materials, for the preservation of Asmara, Brasília, Casablanca, Rabat, and Tel Aviv.

This volume is aimed at scholars and students interested in the politics of the built environment, spatial politics, urban studies, architectural history, international relations, urban geopolitics, settler colonialism, international organizations, and the politics of commemoration.