About Cohousing
What is Cohousing? Through cohousing, people work together to create living spaces that offer privacy and community while retaining the values of old-fashioned neighborhoods - independence, safety, mutual concern and responsibility. A consensus based decision-making model has proven to effectively build relationships and has improved housing development choices. Many neighborhoods are up and running in locations from San Francisco to Maine. Currently, 57 communities are complete while many more are experiencing exciting planning stages. The Cohousing Association of the United States, a national organization, provides information and synergy for groups striving to make change through cohousing efforts. In Denmark, where it all started, cohousing is now an accepted and successful standard of development.
The Cohousing Association defines six main characteristics that define cohousing: participatory process,neighborhood design, private homes supplemented by common facilities, resident management after move-in, non-hierarchical structure and decision-making, and no shared community economy.
Participatory Process
Residents participate in the planning and design of the development of the community so that it directly responds to their needs. Some cohousing communities are initiated or driven by a developer (such as this one), which may actually make it easier for more future residents to participate. Developer initiated/driven projects are in no way a threat to this process. In most cases, developer initiation may actually make it easier for more people to participate in the process.
Neighborhood Design
The physical layout and orientation of the buildings (the site plan) encourages a sense of community. For example, the private residences are clustered on the site leaving more shared open space, the dwellings typically face each other across a pedestrian street or courtyard, and/or cars are parked on the periphery. The common house is often visible from the front door of every dwelling. But more important than any of these specifics is that the intent is to create a strong sense of community with design as one of the facilitators.
Private Homes Supplemented By Common Facilities
Common facilities are designed for daily use; they are an integral part of the community and typically include a dining area, sitting area, children's play room, guest room, as well as garden and other amenities. Each household owns a private residence ---complete with kitchen--but also shares extensive common facilities with the larger group. Except on very tight urban sites, cohousing communities often have children's play areas, lawns, and gardens as well. Since the buildings are clustered, larger sites may retain several or many acres of undeveloped shared open space.
Resident Management After Move-in
Cohousing communities are managed by their residents. Residents also do most of the work required to maintain the property, participate in the preparation of common meals and meet regularly to develop policies and do problem-solving for the community.
Non-Hierarchical Structure and Decision-Making
There are leadership roles, but no one person or persons who has authority over others. There is often a "burning soul" that gets the community off the ground, and another that pulls together the financing, and another that makes sure you / the group have a babysitter for meetings, etc. Many cohousing groups make all of their decisions by consensus.
The Community is not a Primary Income Source for Residents
There is no shared community economy. Occasionally, a cohousing community will pay one of its own members to do a specific (usually time limited) task, but more typically the task will simply be considered to be that member's contribution to the shared responsibilities.
Locally, the Triangle boasts four cohousing neighborhoods: Arcadia, Eno Commons, Solterra, and Blue Heron Farm. Arcadia, located in Carrboro at the end of Barrington Hills Road, has been occupied since 1997. Initiated and facilitated by architect Giles Blunden, Arcadia's planning process and principles were very similar to those anticipated here.