Learn from the authors
Weekend of September 24-26, 2010
Creating Community: Learning from 30 years of the Cohousing Movement
This workshop is an opportunity to learn from the couple that brought the concept of cohousing to North America. Drawing from their extensive experience designing and developing these socially and environmentally sustainable communities, as well as living in their own community, Katie and Chuck offer practical information about organizing, planning, and living in a cohousing community. You will explore how to take the next steps in making the dream of your cohousing community a reality, from site acquisition through group process, development and design, and management. During the workshop, we will explore the following topics.
• Is living in community right for you?
• Would you prefer an intergenerational or active-adult community?
• How is living in community a healthier place for retirement?
• What would it take to get a community going in your area?
• How do you find a spot in an existing community?
• How you find others interested in creating a community?
• What is it really like to live in community?
• Will you have enough privacy?
Other topics include:
• An overview of the cohousing development process, from initial meetings to moving in
• Development strategies and the advantages/disadvantages of working with a developer
• Forming and working with a group and organizing for effective decision making
• Financial options, ownership structures, and money realities
• Designing for community: architectural considerations
• The next steps: your role, the group’s role, and the services of professionals
Required reading: McCamant & Durrett, Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves and Senior Cohousing: A Community Approach to Independent Living.