Posted on 06/26/2009 1:44:56 PM PDT by matt1234
SEATTLE - In this day and age where people rarely know their next door neighbor, a movement is afoot to create consciously connected communities of people who actually want to be involved in the lives of their neighbors.
It’s called cohousing – and it’s already here in Western Washington.
According to the Web site www.cohousing.org, the concept originated in Denmark, and was promoted in the United States by architects Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett in the early 1980s.
The Danish concept of “living community” has spread quickly. Worldwide, there are now hundreds of cohousing communities, expanding from Denmark into the United States, Canada, Australia, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria and elsewhere.
In a cohousing community, you know who lives six houses down because you eat common meals with them, decide how to allocate homeowners dues and gratefully accept a ride from them when your car’s in the shop. You begin to trust them enough to leave your 4-year-old with them. You listen to what they have to say, even if you don’t agree with them at first, and you sense that you, too, are being heard.
In the Seattle area there are three cohousing developments, Jackson Place (near downtown), Duwamish Cohousing and Puget Ridge in West Seattle. Residents participate in the design of the community so that it meets their specific needs, with the constant vision of encouraging a sense of community.
While each neighbor owns their home, they all share common outdoor space, a community garden and a common house that typically includes a kitchen, dining area, sitting area, children's playroom and laundry, and also may contain a workshop, library, exercise room, crafts room and/or one or two guest rooms.
Residents manage their own cohousing communities, and also perform much of the work required to maintain the property. They participate in the preparation of common meals, and meet regularly to solve problems and develop policies for the community.
Janice Kennedy, who is battling cancer, lives at Puget Ridge.
"In the morning when I left for my cancer there were people outside my door hugging me and saying good luck," she said. "I've had flowers, I've had tons of cards. I don't feel alone."
Ed Fischburg has lived at Puget Ridge since it was founded 15 years ago. He says the open community can expose your "dirty laundry," but he wouldn't live anywhere else.
"It's not nirvana here. It's pretty close to it," he said.
This week cohousing supporters are holding their first annual national conference at the University of Washington. Jan Gudmand Hoyer, Danish architect and creator of the cohousing concept, will deliver the keynote address
Sounds like the old concept of a “neighborhood”.
Oh, hippies never grow up.
It’s just a condominium setup only the buyers typically have a hand in the design.
The buyers/residents decide on the amenities before the fact rather than after.
Count me out! The BO concept at the national level is bad enough!
“People that live in communes are Commune-ists” - Archie Bunker
Sounds like my neighborhood.
But why do all the kids have to end up at OUR house!
Cause you got the best snacks. (or a pool)
The “flavor” of cohousing varies tremendously, depending on location.
The more conservative version is an octagon of homes facing outward, with one large commons backyard, and smaller private backyards. The street is on the outside. Younger children generally stay in the backyards areas, so have greater supervision and overall safety against strangers and dangerous animals.
It’s best if the adults are of similar ages, so the octagon is either young, with small children; middle aged, with teenage children; or senior. This also takes into account the changing needs of the group.
I wonder if these “cohousing” experts consider family members moving in with each other just as noble.
Well, that would solve the smell problem. But I don't know where they are to bath if they don't have a bathroom. As for a bathroom, I don't think a bathroom necessarily helps to kick a drug addiction, or a propensity to commit violent acts or petty crime. Perhaps it may help some vagrants to turn their lives around, but probably not most.
Charity is a commendable thing, but misplaced charity is not. That is the hard truth that a liberal does not understand.
people who actually want to be involved in the lives of their neighbors.
There's a name for those types of people. They're called busybodies.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.