I am new to cohousing, or at least to the use of the term applied to a concept that has made a lot of sense to me ever since I first encountered it. That was many years ago when I read in an architecture magazine about some innovative and exceedingly sensible residential projects being built in Denmark. Residents shared essential services such as laundry or gardening equipment and enjoyed the friendships that communal green spaces invariably foster.

This already struck me as a very sound idea even back in the 70s, before all kinds of environmental and economic alarm bells had been sounded.

Now after many years of diverse life experiences, careers, and time living abroad, I’ve discovered upon moving back to the US that those early seeds of creative housing solutions planted in Danish soil have taken root in the US and are flourishing across the country. Cohousing is becoming increasingly more attractive to all segments of the population: young families, seniors, single mothers, and just about everything in-between. And the originality of how people are coming together to find new answers to their collective goal of establishing and sustaining community is impressive, and seems to be continuing unabated.

For me personally, cohousing pulls together a number of my life’s activities and interests into a meaningful and purposeful whole: an avid interest in architecture and the built environment, a career in communications for the building professions, nearly a decade living in a community based on shared spiritual values, and a commitment to living lightly on the planet. That’s why I’m going to the 2015 National Cohousing Conference this spring—to catch up on all that’s transpired while I was living abroad, to learn from others’ experiences, to understand what makes cohousing communities thrive, to contribute to growing the cohousing movement, and to help spread the word about how each one of us can take responsibility for creating the types of homes and communities we want.

To find out more about the conference and the many educational activities taking place before, during, and after the conference, visit the conference website https://www.cohousing.org/2015conference.