Cohousing Neighbourhoods... Some people call them a return to the
best of small-town communities. Others say they are like a traditional
village or the close-knit neighbourhood where they grew up, while
futurists call them an altogether new response to social, economic
and environmental challenges of the 21st century. Each holds a piece
of the truth. Cohousing is a concept that came to North America
in 1988 from Denmark where it emerged over 25 years ago. It describes
neighbourhoods that combine the autonomy of private dwellings with
the advantages of shared resources and community living.
Residents usually own their individual homes, which are clustered
around a “common house” with shared amenities. These amenities
may include a kitchen and dining room, children’s playroom,
workshops, guest rooms, home office support, arts and crafts area,
laundry and more. Each home is self-sufficient with a complete kitchen,
but resident-cooked dinners are often available at the common house
for those who wish to participate. In some communities participants
will join a cooking team once or twice a month — then sit and
enjoy meals cooked by fellow residents the remaining evenings of
that month.
Cohousing residents participate in the planning, design, ongoing
management and maintenance of their community, meeting frequently
to address each of these processes. Cohousing neighbourhoods tend
to offer environmentally sensitive design with a pedestrian orientation.
They typically range from 10-35 households emphasizing a multi-generational
mix singles, couples, families with children, and elders.
In North America there have been over 40 communities completed since
1991 and another 130 plus in various stages of development. The
level of social interaction and shared resources varies among communities.
A cohousing development seems limited only by the imagination, desire
and resources of the group of people who are actively creating their
own neighbourhood. Cohousing groups are based in democratic principles
that espouse no ideology other than the desire for a more practical
and social home environment.
Cohousing provides personal privacy combined with the benefits of
living in a community where people know and interact with their
neighbours. It’s about living in a way that’s responsive
to a world that has changed dramatically in the last fifty years-a
world in which the home life has changed, women are integral in
the labour force, resource limitations and environmental concerns
are on the rise, and many people feel over extended. Cohousing offers
hope in our often dissociated society. Through cohousing, we can
build a better place to live, a place where we know our neighbours,
a place where we can enjoy a rich sense of community and contribute
to a more sustainable world.
See also:
Frequently
Asked Questions
The Main Characteristics of Cohousing
Cohousing
and Sustainability
Subject Headings
