Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: co-housing v.s. old-fashioned neighborliness

[Rich Lobdill (richardl]

Deb:

I think the major difference is intent, not architecture. IF you had a block of 
people in an existing neighborhood who were actually interested in the 
community building, THEN you would get genuine community building. 

In nearby San Luis Obispo, we have some friends who are former stalwart members 
of our project but now have developed community by forming a 'dinner group' 
(but there is much more to it than just dinner). They live throughout the town 
of San Luis but some have moved near to each other. I feel this organic style 
is just as valid as a ground-up (not like hamburger!) project. But the key was 
the intent to build community.

So, I think, a core group of cohousers attracts more people who buy-in to the 
notion that community is a good thing and it grows from there. People involved 
in cohousing are no less busy than other suburbanites, but they have put 
community building higher on their priority list and hence make time for it.

Rich Lobdill
founding member
Tierra Nueva Cohousing
Oceano, CA