The National Cohousing Conference promises an amazing lineup of offerings, from innovative approaches to developing new and affordable communities, to potent ways to enhance our vibrant communities. We’ll cover cohousing basics as well as hot topics in sustainability, community building, and the evolving definition of cohousing. Our “next generation theme” will explore the new wave of urban, senior and agricultural communities, check-in with our now-adult children of cohousing, and celebrate communities that have thrived for over 20 years. A packed agenda yes, but the conference allows plenty of time for networking, tours, and fun!

The schedule begins with half and full day intensives, cohousing tours, and gatherings on Thursday and Friday. Our dinner event Friday will feature keynote Mike Ortosky with Earthwise Company, followed by a community “show and tell.” Saturday and Sunday will be packed with sessions and facilitated discussions, with Saturday evening devoted to networking opportunities. Sunday sessions will wrap up at noon, with another set of community tours in the afternoon.

Why should you come to the National Conference?

Whether you are already living in cohousing or just curious, this is the place to learn from a whole spectrum of experiences, and meet the movers and shakers in the movement. Enjoy a long weekend with some of the most interesting people you will ever meet. Cohousers have always been an inquisitive, educated and progressive community. As you participate in sessions, tours, events, and those energizing conversations, think about what *you* bring to the community enhancing dialogue – and talk about it!

Come Visit Durham, consistently rated among the best places to live. Considered cool, gritty, grand and growing, the “Bull City” has great parks, nationally-recognized farm to table restaurants, is a mecca for artists, and boasts top theatres. Home to Duke University, Research Triangle Park, and numerous incubation opportunities for entrepreneurs, we are especially proud that Durham and close-by Chapel Hill and Carrboro are home to six thriving cohousing communities. For the adventurous, add on a day or two trip to North Carolina’s beaches or mountains: NC Website

Registration opens Feb 1st. Visit our National Conference webpage for updates. www.www.cohousing.org/2015conference

Meanwhile: a sneak preview of offerings (subject to change):

Intensives:
•Facilitation & Leadership
•Cohousing Project Management 101
•Cohousing Research Network: Presentation of Research in progress
•Introducing Dynamic Governance/Sociocracy
•How to Get a Senior Cohousing Community Started
•Creating your Site Design
•Coming to Consensus
•Common House Design
•Conflict: Fight, Flight, or Opportunity
•Durham Coho: Urban Case Study
Sessions:
•Cohousing 101
•Getting Along with the Going Gets Rough
•How Do Cohousers Compare? Findings from the 2013 Survey
•The Village Green
•More than Just Cohousing: A Model for Other Housing
•Aging Better Through Elder Cohousing
•Integral Ecovillage Solutions
•How Our Team Rebooted Workshare, Reinvigorated Our Community and Raised $15,000 for Capital Improvements
•Three Aspects of Healthy, Thriving Community
•Net Zero Energy & Energy Positive Cohousing
•Urban Co-Housing | Affordable, Adaptable and Sustainable
•Architecture that Matters
•The Art of Apology
•Agricultural Communities: Working Farms and Enterprises
•Financing Your Community: Employing Affordability
•Community as an Economic Engine
•Build a Great Group and Members will Come! Secrets of Growing and Sustaining
•Choosing a Development Model: Partnering with a developer, self development or something in between?
•The N-Steet Model: Retrofitting Existing Neighborhoods
Facilitated Discussions:
•Governance: what’s working, what isn’t?
•How do you Build Community Intimacy?
•Growing Up in Community
•Blooming where you are planted: addressing challenges unique to Senior Cohousing
•Creating Traditions
•The Evolving Definition of Cohousing: Adapting the Model
•Common Meals that Build Community
•Using Technology to Foster Community
•Meetings: what works, what doesn’t
•Workshare Systems: what works, what doesn’t
•Singing in Community
•Selling Your Community
•What is your community’s Green Footprint?
Networking Opportunities:
•Speed Networking
•Partnership for Affordable Cohousing
•Rural & Agricultural Communities
•Sociocracy Fans
•Technology Now & Future to Grow Cohousing
•Senior Cohousing Advocates
•Children of Cohousing
•Cohousing Research Network