Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: urban cohousing slide show

[Russell Mawby (russ.mawby]

Re: David Mandel's comments, I'm responding to the whole list, since this
seems to be (and in my opinion is) of importance to the whole discussion of
marketing cohousing.

Videos are good, but always tell someone else's story, and by their nature
can become very dated very quickly.  I would urge any group wanting to get
active in promoting both their project and cohousing in general to use the
resources already out there, including David's slides, and turn them into
their own personal presentation, about what cohousing is to them, and
perhaps more importantly, *why* cohousing.

I use the Southside Park slide show at least once a month, sometimes once a
week, and find it to be an excellent tool for introducing and discussing
cohousing.  I like it because you can tailor it to any audience, from urban
planners, to developers, to church groups.  I am sure that my use of the
slides is not at all the same as David's, though I stick to the "facts"
about Southside Park as I understand them from various contacts with David.

I also have added a lot of my own slides, especially slides from the area I
live in, views of conventional development in particular - curvy streets,
garages with barely visible front-doors, etc.  I included these because most
people do not see anything "wrong" with these conventions, and so can have a
difficult time understanding why they should bother with cohousing (in the
case of planners, it is their support we need, and they have to understand
it as more than just a new kind of road pattern...)

As well, you may be pleasantly surprised to find out how many examples there
are locally of of cohousing-ish development and building form, including
older neighbourhoods with porches, houses close(r) to the street, people out
walking and talking, and so on.  I include these to remind people that
cohousing is not just (or necessarily) glitzy new development, but is just a
refinement of places many of us already know, and accept.

Perhaps the biggest benefit to making your own presentation is that you will
come to understand this thing called cohousing even better for yourself, and
that in it self is worth the effort.

Russell Mawby                   Ph : (306) 975-7666
Housing Facilitator             Fax: (306) 975-7712
City of Saskatoon
Planning and Building Dept.             
222 - 3rd Avenue North                  
Saskatoon, SK  S7K 0J5          russ.mawby [at] city.saskatoon.sk.ca