Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Community Size: Number of people

[Martin Tracy (mtracy]

Community size may be a function of the intensity of the connections 
and interactions among the community.  Living in a group house, for 
example, six adults is a very good number.

>What, in your opinions my dear and gentle internet friends, is the 
>optional number of people to live with to build and maintain a 
>community?  Number of people, not "units".
>Our community of 30 people will almost double to 55 or so in the next 
>couple of years as we finish development of our second phase.  We are 
>designing but not selling 4 of the phase 2 lots, holding these back 
for 
>now at least to let various alternatives emerge.   Our commonhouse 
>dining space is designed for 90 people, cheek to jowl, with 50 being  
>comfortable.  We have 38 acres so there is plenty of land and we have 
>lots of potential for rental opportunities.  Questions:
>1.  Is 55-60 enough people to maintain the community or should we 
>expand to maximum capacity of 80-100?
>
>2. How many is too many? At what point do you start losing touch 
>because there are too many people?
>
>3. How did your group decide on how many people?
>
>4.How many people do you (or have in the past) live with and how does 
it feel?
>
>Rob Sandelin
>Sharingwood
>
>
>

-- 
Martin Tracy, Los Angeles
mtracy [at] ix.netcom.com