Housing, Community and Environmental Justice

In class we have been discussing what makes a sustainable community and have viewed many types of communities, and the issues centered around them such as amount of resources used, environmental and human health, pollution, waste.  We have a lot thought about what a sustainability community environmental and for personal prosperity.  For the environment a community should have such as utilizing renewable resources and not taking more from the land that can be replenished.  On the personal side, its good to have communities that are walkable, with centralizing meeting places that foster connections and communication.

New ideas about how to form and build communities and housing developments are being generated. We have talked about some such as new urbanism and an urban village.  Another alternative housing development strategy is co-housing.  Co-housing is where residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own community. Co-housing communities consist of private houses with public/ common house can recreation center.  Future residents participate and making their community to fit their needs.  This leads to a tight nit community as people get to know each other over the course of building their community,  I think co-housing is a great idea because then people and architects can work together to form an ideal community.  Also the residents can set standards for the community such as the houses or public facilities  be made sustainable such as with used and recycled materials. Or high efficiency products and amenities can be implemented to the houses to reduce energy usage.  Co-housing accommodates people with varying income such as some houses in the community can be shared housing. I think that co-housing should have specific themes or ideals, that future residents have to keep and mind and uphold while developing their community. Such themes or ideals could be having LEED buildings, carless community, or using renewable energy sources.   

I think co-housing is a great way to foster community and a sense of place. Since the residents help build the community they will have a sense of ownership about it can take care of it.  I think one of the best features of the co-housing is that you will know your neighbors.  Whether you live in the city or suburbs without a sense of community, even though you are surrounded by people you fee alone.  From experience growing up in my neighborhood, I hardly new anyone in my neighborhood, and for that matter on my street.  I knew the people who leaved to the left and right for me, but not the people across the street.  I think due to the lack of shared common areas or facilities or the lack of community itself lead to me growing up no knowing my neighbors.  Today it is a bit different because I live in an apartment complex with a high percentage of SPEA graduate students. I leave in fountain park and know about 8 people in the complex.  I have gotten to know then in just around 3months. Compare that house I grew up in,  in which after living there for 18th years I think I knew 8 or less people in my neighborhood.  

Sumner is the name of the neighborhood i grew up in, which is located in Bethesda, MD.  I only just today found this website for the neighborhood to see how it tried to make Sumner a community.  I was curious to know about how my own community compares to what we have been discussing in class. To me i think the main barrier is my community is the lack of communication.  Alternative housing/community development should think about how to foster good communication among neighbors  and other community members.  

Here is a picture of my house to get a feel for my community:

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