Cohousing combines traditional neighborhoods and individually owned property with shared decision making and extensive common facilities including open space, courtyards, play spaces, and a common house where people can gather to play games, cook meals, and other neighborly pursuits. 
Photo by McCamant & Durrett Architects
Cohousing isn’t for everyone, but people who enjoy community, neighbors, and consensus-building would probably feel at home in a cohousing community. If you are interested in the possibility of participating in a newly forming cohousing community in SW Santa Rosa, please send me an email. At the moment we have a tentative site identified, but the people who will come together to be the community will help define the character. Almost by definition the people who care about living in a community will want it to be green and sustainable for the health of the planet. On the other hand, there are choices to be made about age: Is it for seniors? Intergenerational? Family oriented? There are choices to be made about housing: Clustered? Traditional? Multi-family? The list of choices itself is part of the discussion by the people interested in the process and the project.
Cohousing resources: