History
Fact or Fiction: Communal/shared living is a relatively new concept to combat housing issues today.
FICTION!
Fact or Fiction: Co-living can be good for the environment.
FACT!
Fact or Fiction: The large majority of cities and neighborhoods welcome and embrace the idea of shared living.
FICTION!
Fact or Fiction: Boarding houses still exist and operate today illegally.
FACT!
Is co-living entirely a U.S based way of living/housing? (provide evidence for your answer)
No, co-living concepts and practices have roots that extend outside of the United States. Tenements in the U.K, Chawls in India, and medieval housing are all examples of shared living which operate beyond the U.S
How does co-living promote/make it possible for individuals to engage in a nomadic lifestyle?
Co-living offers flexible short-term leases which allows individuals to move into (typically) fully furnished housing with a strong community of like-minded people who also are often on-the-go, living a nomadic lifestyle.
This allows individuals to be able to ditch the conventional housing lifestyle which locks people into a place or way of life as they carry far more commitments and more hassle from moving one place to another.
What are some challenges in developing co-living apartments/buildings?
Developers have to contest with varying local zoning restrictions. This includes possible changing a city's zoning codes and regulations in a given area.
How does the idea of co-living separate itself from general living situations which offers plain shelter? (provide examples)
Co-living is intentionally focused on community building. This is done organically through the shared living and communal spaces which promotes more social interaction but also through specific programming and activities which foster a more interactive and connected community.
Why has co-living/shared-housing re-emerged within our culture in recent years?
Co-living has become relevant again as it is an innovative approach to combat the wide range of urban housing issues today. These issues are largely centered around affordable and accessible housing.
What are some general positives about co-living? (name at least 3!)
1. More eco-friendly and sustainable for environment
2. Reduces housing cost for individuals who may not be able to afford a place, or a place in a particular area (more affordable)
3. Promotes healthy community building and connection with neighbors and/or colleagues, making home more than just a place you reside
4. Improved health and well-being by increasing social support and reducing loneliness
5. Gain greater access to amenities by being located in higher quality neighborhoods one may be priced out of initially
What are some possible downsides of co-living? (name at least 3!)
1. You may experience having less privacy by living in close encounters with 1+ other people
2. In some areas, the co-living luxury lifestyle can be expensive and seen as primarily for rich yuppies
3. You may have less control over your living space in terms of the cleanliness, lifestyle habits, and preferences of your other roommate(s)
4. Potential conflicts and arguments can arise for a variety of reasons
What can be done to combat the for-profit model of co-living which is making this communal way of living a trend to profit from?
“But to truly broaden the target market for co-living beyond the affluent and luxury minded, for-profit developers will need incentives to forgo some of the luxury amenities that have made co-living a profitable option.” Pg. 104 (Brave New Home)
In other words: do without the luxury amenities and massive square footage which makes this sense of co-living expensive and thus unaffordable for large populations of people.
What are some examples of co-living from the past and present? (list two examples for each)
Past: Boarding Houses, Tenements, Communal Living (Colonies)
Present: College Dorms, Shared-living units, Roommates (doubling up), co-housing developments
What large-scale American problems can co-living lifestyles address?
"co-living could offer solutions to the affordable housing crisis, the difficulty of Americans’ round-the-clock work schedules, and a growing loneliness epidemic.” Pg. 104 (Brave New Home)
What are some negative things that could arise if co-living is only marketed and accessible to the affluent?
“If co-living is only marketed to the affluent, it stands to worsen class stratification, privatization, and delayed adulthood that have slowly become ingrained in American culture.” Pg. 108 (Brave New Home)
What are the two avenues/directions that co-living can take? (give examples of both)
The Bad: Co-living could become a new marketing strategy for high-end apartments.
EX: Developers and investors will make co-living about luxury and make this new style of trendy living for the more affluent.
The Good: Co-living can be a genuine attempt to create more community and boast it's many positive effects.
EX: New way of communal living that promotes community, positive effects to one's health and well-being, and more sustainable for the environment.
How do households/living spaces in the past compare to households today in terms of the amount of companionship and isolation? How has this trend of recent influenced or led to the re-emergence of shared living?
“Families themselves once used to provide constant companionship—a full fifth of households in 1900 had seven or more persons–but today more people are living on their own or in small families, away from their relatives.” Pg.87 (Brave New Home)
As a result, households today leave people far more isolated and alone which has been a big influence and positive impact of co-living today which is to bring back that sense of community and social engagement that communal living offers.
What are co-living operators and what do they do to make co-living a positive and fulfilling experience compared to general housing?
“Since social interaction may not happen organically, operators put on programming—ranging from communal dinners to gym classes to off-site trips—to bring residents together and break the ice.” Pg. 83 (Brave New Home)
Essentially, they are third-party individuals that manage co-living spaces and promote a positive and connected community experience for their residents.
What are neighborhood gatekeepers and how do they prevent/go against co-living development? (Provide examples)
“There are neighborhood gatekeepers, like community boards and civic associations, who can shut down new developments by withholding approval or pushing back against development alongside local government. Such NIMBY groups often fear potential effects on property values, safety, and parking.” Pg. 94 (Brave New Home)
What can be done to make boarding housing legal and thus viable and widely-accessible forms of housing?
“Rezoning and regulatory reform could enable these establishments to exist legally, hundreds of units could come out of the shadows, and residents would be protected by regulations that ensure the safety of these buildings.” Pg. 105 (Brave New Home)