RE: Normative definitions of cohousing
From: Rob Sandelin (floriferousemail.msn.com)
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 11:05:59 -0600
In my opinion, of which you have all heard lots of and probably tired of by
now, is that the core question to ask is: What makes cohousing different
than other condos?

There are condos built in my area that by site design, are like cohousing.
They have pedestrian orientation, a commonhouse (although not designed as an
eating center, but could be made so) pathways, even the picnic tables on the
grassy commons which each unit views. These places on paper would be
reasonably well designed cohousing developments, in practice they are not
cohousing. Why not, whats the difference? The people who live there are
strangers to each other, and have little interest in changing that.

To me, a key part of Cohousing is: The intent is to enhance community amoung
people who are neighbors and to create relationships amoung themselves that
are supportive and mutually satisfying.

It is not about architecture, although some architects argue vehemently with
me about this. Yes, architecture can enhance the relationship building,and a
good site design will support the social efforts and intentions of the
residents,  but it does not create the intent to do so, and the intent is,
in my opinion, the first key to defining cohousing. Then, other elements can
be used to contrast it to other kinds of community endeavors, for example,
private home ownership,personal privacy, independent incomes, commonhouse
and other shared resources, community meals, resident designed, democratic
process, etc. Of course, all these secondary definitions can be tweaked and
blended around, and if you are missing one or more of them you can still be
cohousing.

Another way to look at this is to ask: Why do people join cohousing? The
answer almost always comes back to the search or desire for social
relationships. There are lots of other attractive things, but in my
experience from answers that dozens and dozens of cohousing wantabes give,
the common denominator, and the main attraction, is social, not structural.

Rob Sandelin
Northwest Intentional Communties Association
Building a better society, one neighborhood at a time



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