Does history matter? Perceptions and attitudes toward fake historic architecture and historic preservation

Fake historic architecture is being constructed in many tourist-oriented cities and New Urbanist communities. Although critics claim it degrades history, design review boards may inadvertently encourage,fake historic architecture because of their emphasis on contextualism. This research examines the factors that encourage the construction of fake historic architecture, the public's perceptions and attitudes toward this type of architecture, and the impact it has on attitudes toward historic preservation. The results demonstrate that people can discriminate between historic and fake historic architecture, that they view fake historic architecture as attractive, and that fake historic architecture does not reduce support for historic preservation.