Creating a Sustainable Neighbourhood Presentation

The E-Co-Neighbourhood Blue Mountains Initiative
would like to invite you to our  
Creating a Sustainable Neighbourhood Presentation
 
Gilo will introduce the Cohousing Model concept and the E-Co-Neighbourhood Blue Mountains group intent and progress.

Slow Neighbourhood : the Cohousing Model

Posted by Gilo on abitslow.com  website on Friday, October 14, 2011

Modern cities are facing increasing challenges around social isolation, population growth, housing shortages and resource distribution impacted by climate change. Managing growth, reducing traffic, creating sustainable development, sharing resources and amenities are all challenges we face today.

Within these challenges, the importance of an individual to make a change comes from one‘s need to gain back the control over their way of living. Where we live and what we eat are influenced by what we can afford and by what is sold to us and these choices  are usually being dictated to us by big Corporations (70% of the work force work) .
About 2,400 years ago, the Greek philosopher Plato described an ideal community where everything was organised collectively. In 1506, the Englishman Thomas More published the book “Utopia, which gave a name to such visions. In Mores‘ideal community, people were to live in neighbourhood groups with common dining rooms and various shared leisure facilities.

Slow neighbourhood draws its inspiration from the notion of the old neighbourhoods, where neighbours knew and supported each other, and such utopian ideas of collaborative living and sharing , while preserving our contemporary way of living which values the private as well .

Cohousing communities are neighbourhoods which feature common facilities, sustainable living practices and good connections with neighbourresidents, with residents actively participating in the design, planning and operation of their own neighbourhoods. That is, cohousing is a form of intentional community.

 

Cascade Cohousing, Hobart Au

The cohousing model involves participation by residents within a non-hierarchical management structure, fostering shared decision-making, creating and maintaining a caring community, fostering the development of meaningful relationships between neighbours, and ensuring that residents feel a sense of belonging. As a result, cohousing communities tend to encourage a sense of physical safety. The physical layouts of the neighbourhood buildings encourage this: the design is pedestrian-oriented, aiming to encourage opportunities for casual meetings between neighbours; there are large common houses/facilities which provide space for both planned and spontaneous get-together such as celebrations, hobby clubs, movie-watching and shared meals.

In terms of scale, cohousing neighbourhoods are typically designed for 12 to 35 owner occupied or rental residential units, with units often being smaller in size and clustered together to allow for more shared open space. The self-managed nature of cohousing communities provides residents with opportunities to develop new life skills
While many people are now searching for new ways to take back control over their lives, Cohousing (and ‘Pocket Neighbourhood ‘concept that I will write about in another post) provides innovative solutions to many of today’s environmental and social challenges.

Cheers
Gilo