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Cohousing in the OED!

Submitted by Sharon Villines on Sat, 12/10/2011 - 08:36
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By Sharon Villlines

Purely out of procrastination I was perusing the OED and typed in "cohousing." Much to my surprise I found a detailed entry. Like being in the Library of Congress catalog, that means cohousing has arrived. They need a more explicit quote, however. These imply that cohousing is rather like single room occupancy.

co-housing, n.

Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈkəʊhaʊzɪŋ/ , U.S. /ˈkoʊˌhaʊzɪŋ/
Etymology: < co- prefix + housing n.1: see quot. 1988.

A residential development in which individual households share some common facilities or amenities, and residents are communally responsible for managing the community.

1988 K. McCamant & C. Durrett Cohousing i. i. 10/2 In Denmark‥these communities are called bofœllesskaber in Danish (directly translated as ‘living communities’), for which we have coined the English term ‘cohousing’. First built in the early 1970s, cohousing developments have quadrupled in number in the last five years.

What's in a book?

Submitted by catya on Tue, 06/28/2011 - 06:07
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By Chuck Durrett

Last week, in Washington D.C., I was told about two cohousing neighborhoods that were successfully organized and built in the D.C. area. I was then told that the same organizer (Ann Zabaldo) and developer (Don Tucker) recently tried to organize another cohousing development but couldn't get traction. After six months of hard work the cohousing community, that had everything going for it, (affordable, team with a good track record, etc.) could not get off the ground and was abandoned. I asked Ann what happened?

Past Tours

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Past 2011 Tours

Saturday, April 9: San Francisco Bay Area, California - East Bay Edition

Saturday, June 4: Portland, Oregon 

Saturday, June 4: San Francisco Area, California

 

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 15-19, Washington DC - Tours of the Mid-Atlantic communities (2011 National Cohousing Conference)



Past 2010 Tours...

Conference Appreciation

Submitted by Daybreak Cohousing on Sun, 06/28/2009 - 23:29
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Terri Huggett, Daybreak Cohousing

I've just returned home from the National Conference in Seattle this weekend. I want to express my deep appreciation for the incredible effort it took to put this event on, the inspirational presence and talks by Jan, Mark and Robert, the great presentations, volunteers, and participants. And much, much more! I'm exhausted and exhilarated. Let's use our energy to further the movement.

Traditional Housing Copies Cohousing as People Focus More on Their Values

Submitted by Blue Ridge Cohousing on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 21:15
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Peter

American home and neighborhood designs change constantly. If you put yourself randomly in a 20th century neighborhood, chances are that you could tell the decade it was built, even after the avocado-green siding is replaced. We may be in for an even bigger than normal shift in the next decade. How will a 2015 neighborhood be different than a 2007 subdivision? A recent Chicago Tribune article summarizes the eight great real estate trends of 2009:

1. Smaller Houses
2. More apartments
3. Increase in attached housing
4. More rental units
5. New urban centers with homes close to shops and restaurants
6. Common green spaces for outdoor enjoyment of homeowners.
7. Creating Community - where the developer provides social features beyond land, bricks and mortar.
8. Online marketing of homes

(see http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/dec/26/realestate/chi-real-estat...)

Do these features sound familiar?

“Bofaellesskaber?” An Interview with the Pioneer Couple of American Cohousing

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David Wann, Harmony Village, Golden, Colorado

I interviewed Charles (Chuck) Durrett and Kathryn (Katie) McCamant at a recent national cohousing conference in Boulder, Colorado. These two architects, who imported the Danish idea of bofaellesskaber, or living together, have launched a minimovement among Americans, Canadians, and others who want to help create healthier, friendlier, and more beautiful neighborhoods. Here’s what Chuck and Kate had to say about the movement’s origins, benefits, and potentials. —D. L. W.

David Wann: What were your earliest, in-person impressions of cohousing as practiced in Denmark since 1972?

Cohousing 101

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Half Day Workshop: Fri 1:30 – 5:00
register now

Special Price: $20

This introductory session is an ideal primer for newcomers to cohousing. You will learn about the history of cohousing and receive an introduction to the development process. You will gain exposure to the roles of key participants and cohousing jargon. And you will hear tips about how to get the most out of your conference experience. This session is a must for any first-timer to the conference.

PRESENTERS: Grace Kim, Coho/US Board member and Chair of Conference Planning Team; Eris Weaver, Coho/US Board Co-President and Chair of Conference Program Committee; and others.

Is religious cohousing possible?

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By E.F. Walker

Lately, religious conferences, publications and broadcasters have taken an interest in cohousing. A number of newer projects and groups are overtly religious. At the 2006 Cohousing Conference speaker Kathryn McCamant, while describing the growth of cohousing, half-jokingly asked “what are we going to do when the reli-gious right discovers cohousing?” As religious groups of different stripes explore co-housing, it is important to consider how religion and religious norms might affect a cohousing community’s core principles.

Musings: Seniors versus Elders

Submitted by Chuck Durrett on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 14:30
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Chuck DurettAn acquaintance of mine, Chris Zimmerman, owns and operates a couple of assisted-care facilities in Alameda, California. He inherited one at age 23 and subsequently built a second one. He’s now 60, and despite the limitations of an assisted care environment, he has developed astute theories about seniors and elders.

Like many observers of the cultural scene, he agrees that seniors today are given little respect, but he also believes that they have to earn the respect that they’d like to command. He argues that seniors have abdicated their role as respected elders. Being an elder once meant earning respect by playing an active role in teaching younger generations, a role that’s seldom fulfilled today. He believes that seniors earn elderhood by helping younger generations understand how to be accountable.

What are the 6 Defining Characteristics of Cohousing?

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While these characteristics aren't always true of every cohousing community, together they serve to distinguish cohousing from other types of collaborative housing:

1. Participatory process. Future residents participate in the design of the community so that it meets their needs. Some cohousing communities are initiated or driven by a developer. In those cases, if the developer brings the future resident group into the process late in the planning, the residents will have less input into the design. A well-designed, pedestrian-oriented community without significant resident participation in the planning may be “cohousing-inspired,” but it is not a cohousing community.

Next Steps

1. Take a virtual tour.

2. Visit the directory.

3. Attend the Conference.

4. Take a real tour.

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