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Increasing Quality

Deskmag also spoke with Thomas Honeck, who has worked with various organizations focused on urban development and sustainability, including working with id22 since 2010. Honeck finished his Master’s thesis on cohousing at the Humboldt University of Berlin in October 2012. He made the point that cohousing can provide affordable rents and community for members, while at the same time, providing a new “quality” to a neighborhood. The development of a cohousing space, or a coworking space, can be the catalyst that initiates the transformation of an undesirable area for living or working into a desirable one. One example that Honeck gave was the Werkpalast Lichtenberg in Berlin. The project successfully renovated an abandoned prefabricated building from the former GDR into a beautiful, lively, thriving cohousing space. 

Aging Populations

Berlin and other cities in Germany face the problems associated with a negative birth rate. Berlin’s overall median-age is growing higher, and as a significantly large group of individuals are entering into old-age, there is a growing need for establishments and programs that can meet the needs of these people. Cohousing presents interesting solutions to the problems of an aging population, enabling people of all ages the chance to benefit from one another.

In Stockholm, Sweden Färdknäppen is a cohousing space that is designed for people in “the second half of life.”  Approximately 50% of its residents are over 70 years old. In accordance with Swedish bylaws, the members of the collective project must all participate in cooking and cleaning as fits “their own ability.” The abilities of a 50 year old may differ significantly from the abilities of a 90 year old, but everyone has their part.

The group conducts shared dinners Monday through Friday, and in order to accomplish this, six teams have been established. Each team cooks dinner for one week. Cleaning tasks are similarly divided up. Working together, the residents are able to make each other’s lifestyles possible. According to CoHousing Cultures, “The community is convinced that living in Färdknäppen adds at least five years to life, and they say residents can live a good life to the last breath.”

The Relationship between a Project and its Neighborhood

There exists a danger in cohousing communities, which can be best described as a community becoming an island. This occurs when the community becomes so tight-knit that it does not allow new ideas from the outside world to enter. This is something that can easily be remedied through simple efforts.

There are a large number of cohousing communities organizing events within their neighborhoods. Open house events are one great way to do this, but the solutions can be smaller, too. Honeck mentioned that as Werkpalast Lichtenberg plans to set up a bench on the sidewalk in front of their space to welcome both passersby and members of the cohousing community to sit down together for a simple chat.

 ▶ Next page: into the future of cohousing

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