Cohousing-L Mailing List: cars

[Tim Clark (gsadix]

Cars and how they are treated has been an issue with me for years. In fact
it has kept me out of cohousing until now. (we are having 8 attached
garages).

 

It isn't the car that is the problem it is the attitude and architecture
about cars that is the problem. If all you can see is garage fronts when you
look down the street of course it is a problem, but there are other ways to
deal with cars then to punish them.

 

Do you really want to see your brand new Prius out in the sun getting baked
and cracked or how about a little acid rain for the car's finish?

 

How about the extra water needed to keep an outdoor car clean?

 

Do you enjoy lugging wagons full of stuff from the parking lot to your unit?

 

For those aging in place or in a wheel chair is it easy to get to your unit,
in the rain?

 

Is perimeter parking another form of forced intimacy?

 

How about the other functions of a garage other than storing a car, like
extra storage, messy work space, play space on a rainy day when you want the
kids to stay close to the house.

 

I personally wanted a studio (garage). I want to be able to get up at
anytime and go to my studio, without driving cross town to get to it. If I
have an idea in the middle of the night I want to be able to go to work. I
want to work in my underwear if that is what is happening (door closed of
course). 

 

And if you say, "what about the common house craft space", ask any artist
how they feel about working with other people or having to clean up after
themselves when they are done.

 

Has cohousing developed a knee jerk reaction to cars and how not to
accommodate them?

 

Tim

Kaleidoscope Village