Yesterday was the Cohousing Symposium at Moore College, and if you
missed it, you missed something special. Cohousing proponents,
professionals, and the curious gathered from at least 5 states for 8
hours straight of learning and networking. It was incredibly inspiring,
energizing, and exhausting.
The keynote speaker was Chuck Durrett, a well-known name in cohousing circles as the person who brought the concept of "bofaelleskab" or cohousing from Denmark to the United States. Other speakers included Laura Fitch, Tom Bath, Don Tucker, Jackie O'Neill and JP Brokken. This illustrious group presented a broad variety of workshops after the keynote talk:
- Cohousing as Community and Urban Renewal Option
- Cohousing: A Green and Sustainable Approach to Development
- Design Components and Characteristics of a Cohousing Community
- The Common House as the Heart of the Community
- The Economics of Cohousing
Apparently Don Tucker, the presenter for the last topic was worried that the subject would be so dry that no one would attend the workshop. As it turned out, so many people showed up for it, they had to move it from a small conference room to the auditorium. A pleasant surprise for him, but it makes sense to me. In the end, we all need to ensure our projects are financially viable.
Besides the obvious benefit of hearing some very knowledgeable experts in the field, it was just as valuable to network with everyone who attended. We re-discovered old acquaintances from three nearby cohousing communities: Altair Cohousing, Harmony Green Village, and Liberty Village. Of those three, only Liberty Village is built. Altair has land, and Harmony Green continues the difficult quest to find it. We met professionals, students and potential future homeowners and exchanged ideas.
For our part, we brought an armload of handouts and business cards. It was an opportunity to get the word out that we have land, that we are moving forward, and that we need more committed members. We now know of at least a dozen more folks who are interested in finding a community to call home, and we hope to see them again at a Potluck or the next time we do a presentation.
It sounded like the organizers were contemplating doing another Symposium next year, and I can assure you that we'll be back. In the meantime, don't forget that I will be presenting at Downingtown Library on Wednesday, October 14, 6:30PM. I will be giving an overview of Cohousing and of the TGE project.
The keynote speaker was Chuck Durrett, a well-known name in cohousing circles as the person who brought the concept of "bofaelleskab" or cohousing from Denmark to the United States. Other speakers included Laura Fitch, Tom Bath, Don Tucker, Jackie O'Neill and JP Brokken. This illustrious group presented a broad variety of workshops after the keynote talk:
- Cohousing as Community and Urban Renewal Option
- Cohousing: A Green and Sustainable Approach to Development
- Design Components and Characteristics of a Cohousing Community
- The Common House as the Heart of the Community
- The Economics of Cohousing
Apparently Don Tucker, the presenter for the last topic was worried that the subject would be so dry that no one would attend the workshop. As it turned out, so many people showed up for it, they had to move it from a small conference room to the auditorium. A pleasant surprise for him, but it makes sense to me. In the end, we all need to ensure our projects are financially viable.
Besides the obvious benefit of hearing some very knowledgeable experts in the field, it was just as valuable to network with everyone who attended. We re-discovered old acquaintances from three nearby cohousing communities: Altair Cohousing, Harmony Green Village, and Liberty Village. Of those three, only Liberty Village is built. Altair has land, and Harmony Green continues the difficult quest to find it. We met professionals, students and potential future homeowners and exchanged ideas.
For our part, we brought an armload of handouts and business cards. It was an opportunity to get the word out that we have land, that we are moving forward, and that we need more committed members. We now know of at least a dozen more folks who are interested in finding a community to call home, and we hope to see them again at a Potluck or the next time we do a presentation.
It sounded like the organizers were contemplating doing another Symposium next year, and I can assure you that we'll be back. In the meantime, don't forget that I will be presenting at Downingtown Library on Wednesday, October 14, 6:30PM. I will be giving an overview of Cohousing and of the TGE project.
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