Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Slugs and Coho in Hong Kong

[bdsullivan (bdsullivan]

ng
>
>Brian, so is your interest in cohousing academic, or is there something going
>on in Hong Kong?  What kinds of co-op housing or other non-conventional
>housing modes exist there?  Land is very scarce, right, so the
>American/Danish models are probably not viable...(?)
>
I am from Boston and will be returning to the States in one year (after 6
in HK and world travel.) My wife and I are very interested in living in
co-housing on our return. In fact we advertised our intent last week on
this list. However, I am also a housing architect specializing in
behavioral design issues. For the past 20 years I have been professionally,
academically and personally interested in low income and affordable housing
and in living in communities. (I lived in a group house in Boston for 13
years and had a vision of co-housing in 1980 of how I would like to have a
community to share with older and younger friends.

No cohousing in Hong Kong. Land is scare so any low rise solutions
typically are for the super rich. Most new buildings for housing are 40
stories high. Makes it difficult to socialize outside.  (However, there are
a few traditional villages left over in the country side. But isn't that
what co-housing is about? Getting back to a community that lives together,
helps each other, and commits to each other? It seems these are values
common to traditional villages around the world.) ( I believe someone said
last week it was a traditional village that inspired them to live in
cohousing.)

So like many developed cultures, HK's housing has grown away from community
concepts. 

Could co-housing work in HK at the highest densities in the world? That is
one of the questions I will be pursueing with the students in my housing
class this fall. Oops, there you go, I am an academic. At least for the
moment. I hope to get back to a community in the flesh soon.

>BTW,  Do you have slugs in HK?
Slugs can't afford the rent. They have all immigrated to the US.
>

Brian D. Sullivan, Lecturer
Department of Architecture
Chinese University of Honk Kong
email  bdsullivan [at] cuhk.hk