Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Fw: Update from Riderwood Village

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Apr 12, 2026, at 4:50 PM, Muriel Kranowski <murielk [at] vt.edu> wrote:
> 
> Re Sharon's remark that Riderwood is like a bigger, more complex version of
> cohousing, based on her description, it sounds totally unlike cohousing to
> me. Residents are just residents; they can't even freely communicate with
> each other or with the staff, let alone participate in making the decisions
> that will affect them. It may be a really good place to live, but it
> doesn't sound much like cohousing.

Communications are only limited by being directed to the governance stream, and 
being fearful of 3,000 people weighing in on decisions. I can talk to anyone or 
even reserve space and have a meeting, but the scale determines many things. In 
organizations this size people just slide over to standard formats because 
3,000 including residents and staff, can’t function well in a horizontal system 
like cohousing. It needs more structure.

The technology for communications is not as advanced as most cohousing groups. 
It’s a different mindset. At 83 I think I am at the upper end of the generation 
that is comfortable with email and computers. Suggesting new systems is 
harrowing.

Another thing that is affecting better use of email in particular is the number 
of people who only have phones — no laptops or desktops. Phones do so much now 
and can be connected to keypads and screens that computers are not needed by 
many people. I don’t do email on my phone. I don’t even read it there. But more 
and more people are saying they only have a phone and prefer to text short 
messages.

The highest value here is being nice to everyone—I can’t find the statement 
just now. There are 3 websites and I havn’t figured them out yet. The what is 
where. 

It feels like a small town. It would take me years to know everyone by name but 
everyone says hello, good evening, or nods a greeting when passing. If I decide 
that I’ve walked enough today and sit down, several people will nicely check to 
be sure I don’t need help. 

I’m being very carefull not to be overwhelmed with governance work. I’m 
studying how things work but I’ve had enough governance to last lifetime. To 
interact at the decision-making level other than attending feedback and update 
meetings, talking to head staff or elected resident leaders, I would have to 
join a group in charge of something or be elected to a formal governance team.

After studying all the possibilities for cohousing in cities and affordable 
cohousing anywhere, I think communities need to be larger for cohousng to be 
more available. The question is how large can a community be and accomplish or 
retain what features? What kind of geography and architecture would be 
workable? In the ecco field a number of years ago the number was 500 because 
this was believed to be the number that could fully benefit from and maintain a 
sustainable community ecologically.

A surprise for me is that I am enjoying sitting down to dinner with people my 
own age. I miss young children but not running all over the dining room 
yelling. I was totally dubious about senior cohousing when it emerged but have 
changed my mind. Although I’m still concerned about cohousing for the younger 
ages when the 50-70 year olds camp on the other side of the river. That is the 
age group that contributes the most work to community endeavors in cohousing as 
well as other commuity groups.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Riderwood Village, Silver Spring MD
Founding member and 25 year resident in Takoma Village, Washington DC