How do people feel about protecting historic buildings?

It depends on where you are as well as the culture attached to the structure. In Asia though they hold firm to traditions the Chinese are aggressively progressive in all things that includes infrastructure. So they tear down historical building all the time in hopes of making room for the next billion babies expected to be born.

In the US many people get nostalgic about city landmarks but I actually think that there is more to the anger in demolitions of historical sites. I have a good feeling that people are tired of the same old same old in new "contemporary" architecture. I also think that greed has played a part in the quality of new buildings.

So you will find people fighting to keep 100 and 200 year old structures standing because they know that they'll stay standing for years to come and no one is quite sure about these new erectures. :)

But some love to see change coming in the form of their surrounding and they welcome the destruction and construction. I hope this has proved helpful.