Gingerbread villages feel right for the holidays

This wonderful gingerbread village was made in the holiday spirit recently by David M. Schwarz Architects (DMSAS). The village is based on principles of good urban planning, reports Lauren Landau for the blog DCist. “Gregory Hoss, president of DMSAS, says the residents of Gingertown don’t mind a few crumbs on their sidewalks, but they need to be able to walk through their village, access alleys, and peek into shop windows. ‘We pay attention to all the same rules we do in the real world,’ he says.”

These architects bring a high level of skill to the task, but it is natural to build a gingerbread village. Any child will do it well. I Googled gingerbread strip mall, however, and couldn't find gingerbread versions of sprawl. That just wouldn't feel right. Deep down we long for traditional urban neighborhoods, where you know the people on Main Street. The gingerbread village is an expression of “home,” and “community”—ideas that we all want and need this time of year.

This article first appeared in December, 2018.