This note was reviewed in October 2018 and retained for legacy.
Co-housing emerged in Denmark and the Netherlands almost 40 years ago as a housing type that aimed to create neighbourhood communities that did not sacrifice the privacy of individual households. Co-housers sought community for its own sake, but also to improve the conditions of home and family life through sharing and cooperation with neighbours. Common spaces and facilities were created to support neighbourhood activity, always in addition to individual dwellings. Co-housing has shown how more sustainable domestic practices or lifestyles are achievable through the development of such neighbourhoods. Of particular significance is how social organisation and cooperation can help manage or reduce material demands and substitute for material consumption.
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