Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Car Ownership in Cohousing over Time

[Howard Landman (howard]

> I've heard anecdotal evidence that the number of cars owned in cohousing
> goes down over time as people grow used to combining trips and trusting
> that they'll be able to borrow a car when they need one

I've heard this belief from people who had no factual basis whatsoever,
i.e. who had never lived in cohousing yet.  I think we may finally be
seeing a tiny bit of it (not quite equal to one whole car worth of sharing
spread over 34 households) 2 years after moving in.  But our parking lots
and garages were designed by people who thought cars were evil and should
be given as little space as possible, and who also explicitly claimed
that by sheer virtue of being in cohousing (i.e. the instant we moved in)
we would need fewer cars than we previously had owned.  THAT, I can tell
you with complete confidence, was a big steaming pile of wishful thinking.

It also failed to take account of the people who use their garages for
storage (we have an explicit written policy that you can't do this, i.e.
that all garages must remain parkable at all times, but no one enforces
it), the guy who restores old cars as his hobby and usually has one or two
parked on the property at any time, and the times we have events and lots
of guests want someplace to park.

I would also be careful to distinguish between car *ownership* and car *use*.
Sharing may reduce ownership but does not reduce use.  Carpooling may
reduce both.  Telecommuting once a week reduces use but not ownership.
If your main concern is, say, reducing greenhouse gases, then you want to
reduce use.

        Howard Landman
        River Rock Commons
        Fort Collins CO
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