The Cohousing Handbook: Building a Place for Community

Cohousing offers an end to the isolation of the single-family suburban home. Balancing community and personal privacy, cohousing is a chance to create a modern village in an urban or rural setting. Residents own their own homes and can gather in common areas to share meals and socialize. An increasingly popular form of housing in both Europe and North America, cohousing addresses and alleviates many of the demands and pressures of modern life-everything from day care to aging at home is easier with the help of your neighbors.

As pioneers in the development of cohousing in North America, Chris and Kelly ScottHanson offer individuals and new groups a wealth of information and practical hints on how the process works. The Cohousing Handbook covers every element that goes into the creation of a cohousing project, including group processes, land acquisition, finance and budgets, construction, development professionals, design considerations, permits, approvals and membership. This revised and updated edition includes an expanded marketing chapter, as well as a foreword by Gifford Pinchot.

A source of comfort and inspiration for those who want to create their ideal community, The Cohousing Handbook is a groundbreaking and practical guide to building a better society one neighborhood at a time-a must-have for the growing number of people who want to create a cohousing community.

Chris and Kelly ScottHanson are acknowledged leaders in the development of cohousing, and are co-owners of Cohousing Resources, LLC. Chris is also president and CEO of Seattle-based Construction & Development Services, Inc., responsible for overseeing numerous cohousing projects from land acquisition through construction throughout North America. Kelly is CEO of Eco-Development, LLC, providing marketing, startup guidance and membership advice for numerous cohousing and ecovillage projects. They both live and work on Bainbridge Island, Washington.