Other Emerging Efforts

Other Emerging Efforts

I chose to look at cohousing (http://www.cohousing.org/what_is_cohousing). Cohousing as defined at the afore mentioned website “is a type of collaborative housing in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own neighborhoods.
Cohousing residents are consciously committed to living as a community. The physical design encourages both social contact and individual space.” This type of living is fascinating to me as are the ecovillages we explore in this class. The concept of effective community living seems to be somewhat removed from the mainstream life where even in the suburbs there is a disconnect where for the most part neighbors are just seen as neighbors and not as a vital components of community life. In Hilo cohousing would be somewhat difficult because cohousing requires a climate of trust. Trust in neighbors, as well as trust in community goals and group decision making. I think there is a level of distrust in American society that is an offshoot of individualization. Where reliance on other people especially in relation to our children is seen as negative and full of potential dangers. In Hilo for a cohousing environment to be possible there must be a level of trust amongst participants as well as the larger community which would hopefully be supportive of this type of collaborative housing.