2006 Conference
Living in Cohousing - A Model for a Sustainable Planet
Participants and presenters are letting us know that the conference was "inspiring," "fabulous, well-attended, informative and very fun." Check back in a few weeks for highlights and first-person reporting.
The premier gathering of everyone interested in cohousing is planned for July 21-23, 2006, at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill.
Sponsored by the Cohousing Association of the United States, the 2006 national conference promises to be an enjoyable, educational and inspiring experience, whether you’re new to cohousing, a long-time resident or professional. Come for networking, learning and inspiration. Celebrate community and a better way of life. Connect with new and old friends, and gain insights from experienced cohousers and top cohousing professionals. Find your future neighbors, share your wisdom or solve a persistent issue in your group or community.
The 2006 conference will be the first national gathering of cohousing enthusiasts since the 2003 national conference in Boulder, CO. The 2003 conference attracted nearly 200 attendees representing 57 cohousing communities or groups in development from 28 states, plus many cohousing architects, developers and contractors.
For pre-conference workshop and conference events descriptions, click here.
Conference events open to the public
Download conference flyer to share with your friends, family, community or group (PDF)
Theme
Living in Cohousing - A Model for a Sustainable Planet
Program
On Friday night we will begin with an all-star panel of authors of recently published cohousing books – Chuck Durrett, Liz Walker and David Wann. Saturday morning we'll hear from Ellie Kinnaird, NC State Senator and former Mayor of Carrboro, NC, who was instrumental in getting the first cohousing community built in Carrboro. Then we’ll launch into a rich variety of concurrent workshops with tracks for those in forming groups and developing communities, those currently living in cohousing, and professionals interested in working with cohousing groups, as well as several sessions of more general interest. Topics range from new trends in cohousing, sustainability, and participatory design to how to get the work done once you've finally moved in. Saturday night we'll enjoy a lively common dinner, auction and local bluegrass band. The conference will conclude on Sunday with an inspiring general session looking to the future of cohousing in the U.S.
Program description >
View by track and schedule >
Pre-conference workshops and tours
You can kick off the weekend early with pre-conference workshops and tours of neighboring cohousing communities during the day on Friday. (For those unable to attend the Friday tours, all four local cohousing communities will welcome conference attendees to visit on Sunday afternoon.)
Tour and workshop descriptions >
Exhibits
We will have an area for exhibits and spontaneous discussion, and The Doctor Is In - experts available for impromptu consultations - will be back by popular demand. Exhibits will include a cohousing bookstore, vendors with a diverse range of products and services, and cohousing communities seeking new members.
Registration
Online registration is now closed, but the conference is still open. Register in person beginning 5:30 pm on Friday, July 21 in the Frank Porter Graham Student Union (at the intersection of South Road and Raleigh Street).
Registration is $275 for adults, $150 for full-time students with ID. Pre-conference workshops are $50 each.
Cancellation policy. We will give a full refund to anyone who cancels before July 1, and will refund all but $100 for cancellations after June 30.
Accommodations
You
may stay in an air-conditioned dorm room with two single beds for one or two people for only
$51/room/night. You can come early and stay late for the same great price.
For those who prefer a hotel, the historic Carolina Inn, walking
distance from the conference venue (UNC campus maps), is holding a few rooms at a reduced
daily rate of $129. Visit their website or call 800-962-8519 for reservations. Conference code: COH.
Online registration is now closed, but there are still rooms available. Check in or register when you arrive in Cobb Hall at 110 Country Club Road, north of the intersection with South Road (Route 54 to/from Raleigh). You can check into the dorm until midnight.
Meals
Your conference registration includes Saturday night dinner. The campus dining facility offers good all-you-can-eat meals at reasonable prices. For those attending pre-conference workshops, a box lunch with meat and vegetarian options will be available on Friday for $10.
Childcare
Free childcare will be available from Friday morning through mid-day Sunday. Reservations for childcare must be made in advance.
Transportation
Transportation is available from the Raleigh Durham Airport (RDU), 18 miles from Chapel Hill, by taxi (about $35), van shuttle ($15 per person with at least two people riding together) or a convenient TTA bus ($2). For shuttle reservations email University Transportation (UTTrans [at] yahoo [dot] com) with your flight number and time of arrival, and tell them you are with the Cohousing Association. For bus information visit www.gotriangle.org/trip/en/. Within the town of Chapel Hill, all the city buses are free. UNC campus maps
Volunteer opportunities
Do you enjoy interacting with other conference attendees? conference [at] cohousing [dot] org to help with registration, exhibits, bookstore, auction, childcare and other fun activities.
When you arrive
Registration & check in
Thursday late afternoon/evening and Friday (7:30 am to 2 pm): Register or check in for the conference, pre-conference workshops and on-campus accomodations in Cobb Hall at 110 Country Club Road, north of the intersection with South Road (Route 54 to/from Raleigh). You can check into the dorm until midnight.
Friday (opens at 5:30 pm):
Register or check in for the conference at the Frank Porter Graham
Student Union at the intersection of South Road and Raleigh Street.
Conference event locations
Pre-conference workshops will be held in Cobb Hall at 110 Country Club Road, north of the intersection with South Road (Route 54 to/from Raleigh).
Opening session begins at Friday at 7:30 pm in the Frank Porter Graham Student Union at the intersection of South Road and Raleigh Street.
2006 Program
Pre-conference workshops and tours - July 21
Online registration is now closed. There are limited spaces still available in some pre-conference events. You may register for any open workshops when you arrive.
Registration, check in (Friday, 7:30 am to 2 pm) and location: Cobb Hall at 110 Country Club Road, north of the intersection with South Road (Route 54 to/from Raleigh). UNC campus maps
Friday morning - 8:30 am to noon
Bus Tour of Four Cohousing Communities
(Joani Blank)
We will travel on an air-conditioned bus to visit Solterra and Eno Commons, both in Durham, and Arcadia and Pacifica Cohousing, both in Carrboro, NC. You will receive written materials about each community and be shown around by several of its residents at each stop. Tour leader Joani Blank has lived in cohousing for 14 years and has visited 61 of the 85 built communities in the US. She should be able to answer 95% of the questions about cohousing that you throw at her.
Cohousing Site Design Workshop
(Laura Fitch)
Come see a great slide show on cohousing site design features, including examples from many communities. We’ll have an open discussion about cohousing site design – answering questions from both the viewpoint of design for community and my experience living in community (e.g. maintaining pedestrian ways, interacting with neighbors, etc). We’ll also do a hands-on exercise and evaluate the designs you create. Bring your toughest site design questions.
Working with Conflict (and Not Having Anyone Die)
(Tree Bressen and Laird Schaub)
Conflict is sort of like the weather: everyone complains about it, but there's no stopping it. Our only real choice is how we respond. We'll examine what conflict is, why you can't afford to not work on it, why work on it in the moment, why work on it in a group, how to work with it constructively, the amazing variety among how people define safety, and the importance of having agreements about how your group will respond to conflict. (And we'll finish before lunch.)
Cohousing Development – a Primer
(Neshama Abraham and Zev Paiss)
This workshop will give you an overview of the basic steps involved in taking a cohousing project from vision to reality, all the way from developing the core group to marketing, working with professionals to get it designed and built and finally moving in. We will define the various types of cohousing and explore the many ways it gets developed. So, if you are new to cohousing, either as a professional or a group member, or even both, this workshop will provide you with a variety of tools to get you started on the right track.
Friday afternoon - 1:15 to 4:45 pm
Bus Tour of Four Cohousing Communities
(Joani Blank)
Identical to morning tour; see description above.
Cohousing Project Management
(Katie McCamant and Jim Leach)
A project management primer from top cohousing professionals who will share lessons learned from a decade plus of working with dozens of cohousing communities. This workshop is for members of cohousing groups that will be working with design and development professionals, as well as aspiring cohousing professionals. Topics will include construction and financial management, options and upgrades, partnering with developers from a distance, and project managers who are also group members. Participants will have the opportunity to raise questions and discuss issues they are facing.
Good Facilitation: The Secret Ingredient in Building Community
(Shari Leach and Annie Russell)
Join us for this engaging, experiential workshop. Learn how communities develop and how facilitators and leaders can help them mature. Bring the toughest issues you’re facing and we’ll use these live examples to help you sharpen your facilitation skills.
Working Cohousing into Larger Projects
(Charles Durrett and Greg Ramsey)
How can cohousing help us create a master plan for conserving our natural resources? Chuck and Greg will go to the heart of the matter showing you how to preserve precious land, reconnect and regenerate eco-systems, develop community supported agriculture, integrate community businesses, tap into solar and other alternative energies and utilize green materials. With years of experience in developing cohousing and conservation communities, Chuck and Greg will show you a variety of projects and applications, including fitting cohousing into larger development projects and fitting cohousing into New Urbanist projects. Whether you are interested in a single cohousing development or stemming the tide of sprawl, ecological fragmentation, or enhancing the city in your region, this seminar is for you.
Conference events - July 21-23
Online registration is now closed, but the conference is still open. Register in person beginning 5:30 pm on Friday, July 21 in the Frank Porter Graham Student Union (at the intersection of South Road and Raleigh Street).
Friday evening -
in the Frank Porter Graham Student Union at the intersection of South Road and Raleigh Street UNC campus maps
5:30 pm - Registration begins
7:30 to 9:30 pm - Opening night author panel with:
- Chuck Durrett, Senior Cohousing: A Community Approach to Independent Living
- Liz Walker, Ecovillage at Ithaca: Pioneering a Sustainable Culture
- David Wann, Reinventing Community: Stories from the Walkways of Cohousing
Saturday morning
9 to 10:15 am - Opening session with State Senator Ellie Kinnaird
Saturday all day and Sunday morning
Breakout sessions
The preliminary breakout titles are grouped by special interest track for your convenience. You are most welcome to attend any sessions that interest you.
Living in cohousing
- Money Matters: Financial management in established communities with Yehudit Lieberman, Laura Benedict
- Resales: making them work for everyone with Sally Wright
- Permaculture with Peter Bane
- Getting the Work Done in Community with Lyons Witten, Arthur Okner • Breaking Bread Together: What’s your community's approach? with Robert Heinich, Brigitte Wilbern
- From the Common House Outward: Starting a Sustainability Revolution in your Region with Liz Walker
New forming groups – looking for a site
- Membership: questions you should have asked before joining with Laird Schaub
- Setting Green Goals with Bryan Bowen, Meda Ling, Jack Wilbern
- Planning for Great Meetings with Tree Bressen
- Marketing Cohousing with Neshama Abraham, Zev Paiss
- Conflict Resolution with Carol Robinson
- Community Vision & Purpose, What it is, Why You Need it with Diana Leafe Christian
We have a site, now what?
- Marketing to the Mainstream with Sharon Tuck, Michelle Baltierras
- Where’s the Money? with Katie McCamant, JD Lindeberg, Jim Leach • Key Decisions During Construction with David Bellin, Chris ScottHanson
- Reaching Agreement-Alternatives to Consensus with Annie Russell
- Loving life in cohousing: crafting community policies for life after move-in with Shari Leach
- Affordability Strategies with Betsy Morris, Dene Peterson
Professionals
- Building Cohousing for "Seniors"with Chuck Durrett, Jim Leach, Dene Peterson, Annie Russell
- Cohousing Development Shipwrecks & How to Avoid Them with Chuck Durrett
- Developing Cohousing: Potholes to Avoid & Tips to Remember with Jim Leach, Michael Black
- Renewable Energy in Cohousing with Bryan Bowen, Mark Daugherty
- Facilitation Skills for Design Professionals with Laura Fitch
- Next Steps for New Professionals with Chris ScottHanson
General interest
- Lessons learned from Danish Cohousing: A personal perspective with Grace Kim
- Creating cohousing traditions through celebration and ceremony with Catya Belfer-Shevett, Craig Ragland
- Designing for Diversity with Liz Magill
- Welcoming communities: designing for accessibility with Judy Brewer, Katie McCamant, Eleanor Smith
- Cohousing's Ecological Footprint with Dave Wann, Liz Walker
- Doing it in Groups: The Cohouser's Guide to Making Regional Networking Work for YOU! with Ann Zabaldo, Craig Ragland
Sunday noon
12 to 1 pm - Closing general session
Katie McCamant on "Where are we headed: challenges & opportunities" and closing exercise.
Sunday afternoon
Post-conference community open houses
All four local communities will be open for visitors between 1:30 and 4:30 pm. Fact sheets, site plans and directions to the communities will be available at the registration table. We will not provide transportation but will facilitate the formation of car pools.