Welcome tothe

Blue Mountains Cohousing Initiative

Sydney CoHousing Inc. is an umbrella group established in 2009 by a group of families, aiming to promote and create an intentional, intergenerational & sustainable community in Sydney, based on the Cohousing model.

modern cities are facing increasing challenges around social isolation, population growth, housing shortages and resource distribution impacted by climate change, but intentional communities could be an avenue for changing lifestyles to adapt to these challenges..Phil Bourne ,Common Ground & Cohousing Australia

Images curtsey Cascade Cohousing Hobart

Envisage living in a vibrant neighbourhood which is environmentally aware, energy efficient. With willing, fun loving, diverse people sharing the many household tasks across the community, creating more free time to live your dreams, and reducing your cost of living! Home grown veggies! ......

What Is Cohousing? Cohousing is short for collaborative housing; it is also a form of Intentional Community, an inclusive term for ecovillages, cohousing, residential land trusts, communes, student co-ops and urban housing cooperatives.

Intentional community is defined as A living environment where doors dont need rather to be than locked, the where significant where relationships with neighbours are the norm exception, generations mix and everyone has a role, where people experiment with commitment to something more than their individual interests ... in short, intentional community.

(Mazo, 1992)

Intentional community

&

Intergenerational

Images at senior cohousing by Chuck Durrett

Empowerment Is the means by which individuals acting collectively, of and, in gain their the understanding circumstances lives.

process, gather control over their(Meltzer 2001)

The concept of cohousing is not new, it has roots in utopian, feminist, preindustrial western societies, where small communities used to live and sustain(Meltzer 2005)

themselves

by

sharing

resources, property and aspirations

Cohousing combines the autonomy of private dwellings with the advantages of community living. communal space. It has private units, It is built at low, semi-private space, indoor and outdoor medium and high densities and in a variety of layouts and locations, thus communities are very diverse. Communities can be

retrofit. Swans Market Cohousing, Oakland California

retrofit

N Street, Davis California, 1984

as a building

Stacken, kollektivhus the first cohousing unit in Sweden.

newly built

Jystrup Savvaerket cooperative 1984, Denmark

Cohousing Model

Development

Resident led ; Partnership ; Speculative By the residents Working Developer led with the develop er

Characteristics of Cohousing: 1. Participatory Process 2. Neighbourhood Design 3. Common Facilities 4. Residential Management 5. Non- Hierarchical Structure & Decision Making 6. Significant elements of the community economy are

Characteristics of Cohousing:

Common house where community activities shared meals occurs

&

Why Cohousing?

The cohousing literature suggests that European & US cohousing communities have a better quality of life due to a heightened sense of well-being and a more affordable lifestyleMeltzer, 2000; Brenton, 1998; Fromm, 1991). (Marcus & Dovey, 1991;

Sustainability"forms meet present of the progress needs of that the

without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."

Sustainability EnvironmentallyThe nature of cohousing communities reduces their impact on the environment.

Sustainability EnvironmentallyThe nature of cohousing communities reduces their impact on the environment.

Sustainability Environmentally, SociallyThe nature of cohousing communities reduces their impact on the environment.

Cohousing are socially inclusive, & have strong social networks.

Sustainability Environmentally, Socially, EconomicallyThe nature of cohousing communities reduces their impact on the environment.

Cohousing are socially inclusive, & have strong social networks.

Cohousing is a proven affordable living.

Sustainability Environmentally, Socially, EconomicallyThe nature of cohousing communities reduces their impact on the environment.

Cohousing are socially inclusive, & have strong social networks.

Cohousing is a proven affordable living. Increase residents well-being.

The cohousing literature suggests that European & US cohousing communities have a better quality of life due to a heightened sense of well-being and a more affordable lifestyleMeltzer, 2000; Brenton, 1998; Fromm, 1991). (Marcus & Dovey, 1991;

Cohousing Structure

Committees Finance/ Treasurer Networking Group Coordinator PR/ Events Blog/ Web site Editor/ Publisher Legal Design

Governance Model Consensus process is when we are all involved , and are all considered till we reach an agreement.

Sociocracy simplifies the decision making process by adopting a circle structure It makes the policy decisions within its domain; delegates the leading, doing and measuring functions to its own members...

Conflicts

Conflict resolution & Nonviolent Communication models enables groups to solve and deal with disputes in a respectful way.

Cohousing Australia

Cohousing Australia

Cascade Cohousing, Hobart Cohousing Cooperative, Hobart Pinakarri Cohousing, Perth Ecohousing Heidelberg

Cooperative Melbourne, [under construction]

Christie walk, Adelaide

Cohousing Australia

Cohousing Cooperative, Hobart

Cohousing AustraliaPinakarri Cohousing, Perth

Through Pinakarri we learn to love more completely

Ecohousing Heidelberg Cooperative, Melbourne

Ecohousing Heidelberg Cooperative, Melbourne

Urban Ecology, Christie walk, Adelaide

Cascade Cohousing Hobart 1991

Living at Cascade Cohousing

Cohousing

communities

are

old-

fashioned neighbourhoods created with a little ingenuity. They bring together the value of private homes with the benefits of more sustainable living. That means common facilities and good connections with neighbours. All in all, they stand as innovative answers to today's problems. environmental and social

Why Blue Mountains?

Why Blue Mountains? The Beautiful Scenery of the Blue Mountains, affordable land and a sense of community which already exists provides a great platform for establishing a Cohousing Community.

It takes people to create a community

http://sydneycohousing.blogspot.com/