An urban cohousing neighbourhood on Swanson Road in Ranui, west Auckland, where residents share their homes, decisions and community life. The website calls it a model of socially and environmentally sustainable urban living, and says its residents have practised what it calls neighbourliness for resilience for more than two decades.
The site is mostly a resource for people who want to learn from the development. It shares information about the design, systems and processes behind the neighbourhood, and invites people to browse and use them with acknowledgement. There is a documentary and a workshop, and a book by Robin about how the development was built. A screening of the documentary can be arranged by email.
For someone thinking about living there, the website sets out questions to think through. They cover what a person hopes to gain, what they can contribute to meetings, meals and events, how the neighbourhood's consensus decision-making works, and its agreements on participation, pets and rentals. The website suggests talking with current residents, and it has a guide for prospective residents. Enquiries about residents can be sent to info@earthsong.org.nz.
Our pick in Ranui for anyone curious about how a cohousing community is run day to day.