A Crack in the Asphalt

Cohousing

1. Springhill Cohousing: Springhill Cohousing is near the centre of Stroud in Gloucestershire. It is the first new-build cohousing scheme to be completed in the UK. There are 34 units, ranging from one bedroomed flats to five bedrooomed houses. There is a three-storey common house with a kitchen where meals are cooked and served three times a week - other shared meals and community-based social activities happen there too. Springhill Cohousing has been recognised by The Deputy Prime Minister's Award for making an "outstanding contribution" to Sustainable Communities. "The pedestrianised 'main street' meanders around the site parallel with the contours, creating a characterful village feel". (UK)
2. UK Cohousing Network: Co-housing balances the traditional advantages of home ownership with the benefits of shared common facilities and connections with your neighbors. These co-operative neighborhoods are among the most promising solutions to many of today's most challenging social and environmental concerns. Most households today are atomised units, where there is little if any sense of community. But done well, housing can stop older people becoming cut off, help deal with crime, poverty, joblessness and lack of educational opportunity in a holistic way, as well as being a perfect environment for kids to play and learn. That is the promise of co-housing. (UK)
3. The Cohousing Association of the United States: Cohousing communities combine the advantages of private homes with the benefits of more sustainable living, including shared common facilities and ongoing connections with neighbors. These intentional neighborhoods, created and managed by residents, offer an innovative solution to today's environmental and social challenges. (USA)
4. Canadian Cohousing Network: The Canadian Cohousing Network (CCN) was formed in 1992 in British Columbia, Canada. It is a registered non-profit organization that promotes the creation of cohousing communities as a model for sustainable development by raising public awareness about cohousing and by bringing people together to form communities. The most valuable function of the CCN is making connections with people who are interested in living in a cohousing community. CCN links individuals and cohousing groups together to share resources and make the process of creating a community easier and more economical. (Canada)

posted by Gemma Grace @ 1:24 p.m.