To say that street names are a physical marker of history is to invite two critiques. The first is that this is all much ado about nothing; that street names don’t really matter. The second is that any calls to change these names is to “erase history”, an erasure which – to those who argue this point – is as bad as the acts the signs commemorate. Perhaps we should consider the evidence.

An excellent contemplation of the meaning of the names we give our streets.

Why the name of your street is a sign of the times – and what to do about it | The Correspondent