Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Lot development model cohousing [was: More affordable housing ideas

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> What you call cozy, some would call crowded. No, I have not yet seen a lot
> development model which does the street notion, with houses facing across a
> street from each other. ... The sort of
> dense, Urban crowding models promoted by the Cohousing Company tend not to
> be used in rural settings, where lot development is more likely to occur.

The sense of space in different areas of the country is different also.
After growing up in the Midwest where there are hundreds of miles of roadway
with no towns in sight and in the desert where you can "see forever", I
found New York to be claustrophobic.

But I quickly learned the value of having neighbors "right there" and this
has become a major feature of cohousing for me. I like the urban density. It
is so easy to get together. And if you want to socialize, you can just step
outside and sit in the piazza or the commonhouse for a few minutes and
someone will come by.

I consciously avoided the lot development model and solved the space problem
by taking all the walls out of my unit so instead of small rooms with
restricted views, I have one large room -- loft style. Thus the 850 square
feet feels too big sometimes.

Sharon
-- 
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org


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