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Vision and Values

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The following pages and articles on this website are also tagged "Vision and Values":

  • Making cohousing affordable: Strategies and successes, part 3 of 3
    by Renee Hart, a founding member of CoHo Ecovillage
    September, 2007

    There was little doubt in anyone’s mind that Mike Volpe, the president of CoHo Ecovillage, was meant to have a home there, in the cohousing community now being built in Corvallis, Oregon. Mike wasn’t nearly as optimistic. Owning a home would mean giving up his Medicaid benefits, and that simply wasn’t an option. Mike has had primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis since he was 23. This particular form of MS is relentless in its pursuit, and it pursued Mike’s health with a vengeance, gradually taking away his ability to walk, to move his hands, and to see clearly.

  • To boldly go: Visitability in cohousing
    by Eleanor Smith, East Lake Commons
    May, 2007

    When our community, East Lake Commons, held its first formal meeting in 1997, one of the first official decisions was that all the units would be designed with two features making each home “visitable” by members with mobility impairments: at least one entrance with zero steps, and at least a half-bathroom on the main floor, with a door wide enough for wheelchair passage.

  • Yes, you do have friends
    February, 2007

    In December, a poll asked our readers to tell us about the number of close friendships they have. It was prompted by a study published last summer found that Americans have one-third fewer close friends and confidants than just 20 years ago – a sign that people may be living lonelier, more isolated lives than in the past.

  • Getting started: The first eight steps
    by Rob Sandelin, Sharingwood Cohousing
    November, 2006

    These are some of the elements to consider working on in the first months you spend together. This assumes you have brought together a core group of at least two or three households. Three or four households is even better.

  • Is cohousing based on a specific ideology, shared values or religious or spiritual beliefs?

    Some cohousing communities create a shared vision or ethic, such as sharing resources, welcoming diversity and creating a safe environment for children, but residents typically represent a variety of religious and spiritual backgrounds.

  • Culture: Futures Festival: An Intergenerational Participatory Visioning Process

    John Engel

    A Futures Festival is an intergenerational participatory visioning process for developing new, or recreating existing, communities. A Futures Festival event is a safe space for people of all ages and abilities to creatively express their vision for the future of their community by designing and experiencing interactive exhibits in a festival-like setting. The Futures Festival model was developed by Matthew Kaplan, PhD, who is based at Penn State University and who conducted a train-the-trainer workshop on Futures Festival planning at the Wild Sage Common House in Holiday neighborhood of Boulder, CO in November 2008. In this workshop, participants will learn:

    • Brief overview of IISN and its origins
    • The story behind the creation of the Futures Festival process
    • The value of conducting a Futures Festival
  • Culture: Singing in Community

    Catya Belfer-Shevett & Craig Ragland

    Would you like to sing more in your cohousing group? Come experience how groups use song to grow community. Combining conversation and singing, we will share some great songs that really work well for different cohousing groups. Learn about why "having a good voice" doesn't matter. Learn pitfalls to avoid when selecting songs. Learn about bringing singing into your group's culture. We will create space for songs from participants, so bring your favorite. If possible, contact Catya beforehand to teach us your song. (Note: we'll not be sharing explicitly religious songs.)

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