I had the honor of attending the Leon Krier Memorial Conference last month. It was a gathering of the leaders and pioneers of new traditional architecture and urbanism, celebrating Krier’s life and reaffirming the principles that guided his work. I sensed a healthy dose of emotion, idealism, and optimism—a reminder that traditional architecture matters in the world and that people are carrying it forward, one project, book, drawing, and student at a time.

I also met many architects I admired and had been reading for some time: Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Demetri Porphyrios, and George Knight. But Krier was the first person I encountered in the world of new traditional architecture and urbanism. His sketches were brilliant in their ability to make a complex idea seem intuitive, obvious even. His deconstruction of modern architecture, planning, and society radicalized me, putting words and pictures to the ideas I’d had for years. I became convinced that this was the most important thing in the world. Traditional design was necessary to preserve our habitat, culture, and humanity. More so in modernity than in any other time in history.

What was shocking about Krier’s story was his resoluteness in his principles, even at the cost of his reputation and career initially. He was the most vocal amongst the few architects in the world who dared attack the altar of modernism. No one touted the praises of traditional architecture in the 70s. It seemed like self-sabotage to do so at the time. Krier’s work gave permission to thousands of people around the world to do what they believed was right. To build traditional towns and neighborhoods. To pursue vernacular building methods. To build traditional houses and structures again. To be interested in classicism. To form the institutions to teach traditional architecture. There is still much work left to do, but I find it incredible how fervently the tide has turned. It is easy to take for granted the institutions, people, clients, firms, and projects involved in traditional architecture. But beauty and tradition were fought for over a long period of time. We must continue to do so, inspired by Krier and the example he set for generations to come.