Cohousers don’t only talk the green talk, they walk the green walk. Yet the sustainable lifestyle inherent in intentional neighborhoods is not always outwardly apparent to the greater community (minus solar panels on rooftops or street-facing gardens). It’s a goal of many forming communities to demonstrate these built-in savings, embodied in greener-built homes, on-site activities... Read More

Vermont is a state of small towns, and among them, the village of Bristol is unique. It is the commercial hub of five rural townships, featuring an old-fashioned Main Street lined with shops and restaurants. A turn-of-the-century Town Hall rises in the center of the village, one part municipal office, one part cultural center. Across... Read More

Given such inescapable trends as climate change and water, energy, and food scarcity issues, Laura Fitch, in her article, “Is Cohousing Green Enough?” in the Coho Now #85 issue, asks an important and necessary question. Her answers provide a good beginning to the kinds of realizations needed to support cohousing as a way of life... Read More

Is Cohousing “Green Enough”? The Paris climate summit is now over. And I am wondering – has it (or other climate news) inspired any new or existing cohousers to stretch a little further in the green direction? We have heard about many new communities who are talking “passive house”, “net zero” and “net zero ready”.... Read More

In response to an inquiry on the coho-l email discussion group, about recommendations on connecting with people who might be interested in starting a community, Tom Lofft with Liberty Village Cohousing in Maryland responded: Hi all wannabes and start-up cohousers: I recommend that any small group in particular, especially those who are thinking of breaking... Read More

In Christmas of 2012, a year after my family moved to Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage, our town was the epicenter of one of the most severe ice storms the Maine coast has seen in recent memory. Temperatures dropped to negative 5 Fahrenheit at night and electricity was out for days as ice encrusted roads and... Read More

While many intuitively understand the benefits of living in a close-knit neighborhood, some people need numbers to convince them. That’s why members of Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage on the Maine coast conducted their own study to find out how much money typical residents will save in energy costs and in-kind goods and services. The result?... Read More

[Sarah Lozanova is an environmental journalist and communications professional with an MBA in sustainable management. She recently relocated to BelfastCohousing & Ecovillage in Midcoast Maine with her husband and two children. The article was published in motherearthliving.com] Jeffrey and Judith loved living in the quaint harbor town of Belfast, Maine, with waterfront views. They resided... <