Cohousing-L Mailing List: Public access through community

[Robin Allison (ecohousing]

Dear cohousers,

Waitakere Eco-neighbourhood is in the early design phase of our 30 unit
cohousing community on a 4 acre site in Auckland, NZ. Our site, though
not a corner site, has access from 2 roads, and we are planning 2
driveways with parking areas. A pedestrian pathway linking these 2
carparking areas, winding between trees on the edge of the site, would
provide a shortcut to the local shops for the wider area. We are
considering making this a public pedestrian access.
 
Philosophically most of our members are happy with the idea of
contributing and integrating with the wider neighbourhood in this way,
but there are fears about breaching the security and privacy of our
community.

Is this a situation that other communities have faced? For those of you
who have public pedestrian access through your site, is it an asset or a
liability to your community, and how could it work better? We'd
appreciate any advice you might have.

Regards, Robin Allison
Waitakere Eco-Neighbourhood Cohousing Project