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Community Living
I have a question for every one who reads this blog. Does living in a community have a huge future?
When most people think of living in a community they usually think of people with a specific belief (fanatics), living more or less detached from the world, sharing everything, no privacy, living a life of low economic standard, sharing everything but their underwear. More or less traditional communities still exist and will keep existing more or less in the same way. The benefits that I see for living in such a community are:
- Sharing with others, the connection and the love that is felt when sharing is a huge stimulant;
- People are social beings, they need at home, others to be with;
- Cooperation in the economic sense.
The sharing, the social contact, the practice of specific beliefs is a very strong desire and wish for many people. People feel detached, alone in their homes (the singles market has never been bigger). At the same time we are making more money that we can spend on an individual apartment, all the stuff you need, etc. Most of us don’t believe that it is possible to combine a modern, independent life with the life in a community. But I believe that there is huge potential.
Imagine 40 people (people with similar demographics: example young, working people between 25 and 35 years old) living in a complex, located in or at the edge of a decent sized city, that offers individual suites/lofts to the residents. Each person has a room that combines bed, living room and small kitchen (fridge, sink, microwave), plus everybody has their own bathroom. The complex offers shared services: communal kitchen were meals are prepared by a cook/made, communal dining room, a pool and or tennis court (that can also be used for other sports), sun deck, laundry service, garage, storage, extra rooms for visitors (have to be guests of people living there), a room for events, etc. This way busy people can spend less time (or none if desired) going to the supermarket, cooking, doing their laundry and cleaning and therefore can spend more time living: enjoying the company of all the people around them in the public spaces. And because of economies of scale (the sharing of facilities) it becomes very accessible in price. Think of the following benefits/things that you can save on:
- Don’t need a spare room for that one person a month that wants to stay over. You share the guest rooms, you can reserve it when you know someone comes over;
- Time saver: cleaning, cooking, buying groceries;
- Money saver: good cleaning equipment, washing machine, dishwasher, etc.;
- Money saver: you can negotiate good prices for internet, (cell) phone, grocery delivery (whole sale) and other services as you will buy them as a
- Money saver: share the kitchen (equipment) and living room. Most people have a full kitchen in case they want to cook, but that rarely happens;
- Money saver: sundeck, sports field (tennis court), pool, small cinema or TV room and all the rest is just too expensive to have on your own. And it’s useless as you don’t use it enough on your own;
- Being close to other, like minded people who like each others company. But at the same time you have the privacy of your home where you can retreat and do anything you want.
Of course people will have to give something in return. It asks above average understanding, respect for others and some flexibility. But the rewards are big and I believe that if organized well it offers people a great way to live.
I would like to live this way, would you? And so once again my question: Does living in a community have a huge future?
That's an interesting question. Whenever I think of communal living I have the same perception: living in a house far away from people, having no need to leave, existing on communal gardens and shared work.
However, the way you describe it, it sounds like an excellent idea...much more modern. It even sounds like something that could be brought into large cities. Your idea allows just enough space to feel like you can always retreat to privacy once in a while when you feel the need for isolation.
However, I wonder how such a plan would exist. What would happen if someone were not doing his or her fair share of the work? Would they be kicked out? Or would there even be any bad seeds? Would people automatically feel the need to contribute when they see that life is much better when you have people around to help?
posted by katiek on 8/10/2007 1:29 pm