Urban Cohousing for the 21st Century
|
| |
If "cohousing" sounds a little like "carob raisin" to you, rest assured that you sit squarely with the majority. Most people see the whole concept as typical of an old school of environmentalism practiced long before Netflix and iPods became ammunition for a green revolution. But, like other hippy habits such as carsharing and getting off the grid, you can always give an old idea a new lease on life by making it relevant to today's tastes and lifestyles.
My recent article, Multi-Family, Affordable, Urban and Green, sparked a number of comments and suggestions to look into the resurgence of cohousing and the creation of "living neighborhoods." Both of these dictate certain parameters about the physical design of a community, as well as the way the residents live, encouraging maximized pedestrian area and minimal auto traffic, density without highrises, abundant gardens and access to daylight, and a balance of shared and individual spaces.
It seems to me that the primary reason 21st century greens shy away from ideas like this is that they seem soft, sentimental, and peripheral to the dire challenges at hand today. But in reality, communities designed for livability can be a fundamental solution to problems with everything from pollution and urban sprawl, to physical health and personal safety. 885
|
