Yesterday, the World Monuments Fund released their 2008 list of endangered monuments around the world. The 100 sites on the list were chosen because of the threats posed by political conflict, tourism, rampant development, and—for the first time—climate change. From the local, like Route 66 and the historic neighborhoods of New Orleans, to the global, such as the Church of the Holy Nativity in Bethlehem and Machu Picchu, Peru, the list spotlights architectural treasures whose continued existence depends on the trends threatening them to be halted, reversed, or repaired.

The WMF site has an excellent interactive world map with photos and information about each site's history and relevant threats. Or view the whole list (PDF) here.

World Monuments Fund Unveils 2008 Watch List [Architectural Record]

Photo of one of the WMF's endangered sites, the New York State Pavilion observation towers from the 1964 World's Fair in Queens, NY, from vidiot's flickr page.