Co-living: Economizing, Sharing, Empathizing
In the heart of modern cities, a new housing model is gaining traction - coliving. This innovative approach to living, which combines private spaces with shared communal areas, has emerged as a response to urbanization, affordability challenges, and social isolation.
The roots of coliving can be traced back to the communal living concepts of the past, but it has undergone a significant transformation in recent decades. The industrial revolution led to a decrease in communal spaces, with an emphasis on privacy and private ownership. However, coliving revives the communal spirit, offering a modern, adaptive housing alternative.
Coliving spaces, such as those found in Färdknäppen, an apartment house in Stockholm catering to older individuals, or Cohabs in Belgium, attract a diverse demographic, including millennials, seniors, and those who enjoy living with diverse people. These spaces offer flexibility, with many operators allowing tenants to live for a few months without long-term commitments, making them an attractive option for those navigating urban living.
One of the key advantages of coliving is its affordability. By sharing facilities and benefiting from economies of scale, residents can access private space at lower costs, a crucial factor as urban land becomes scarcer and more expensive. This model aligns with trends in small-scale urban residential developments and can provide more housing options amid land-use constraints.
Coliving also addresses the issue of social isolation, a common experience in urban settings. By designing environments meant to build community among residents, coliving helps alleviate feelings of loneliness and supports social wellbeing. For instance, a cohousing development in Madrid features a system of shared childcare, making family life easier for tenants.
In the face of mass urbanization, coliving can help absorb the influx of people in dense urban centers by providing flexible, scalable housing solutions, reducing pressure on traditional housing markets. It promotes a sense of community, which is increasingly important as larger cities experience social fragmentation.
The pandemic of 2020 highlighted the importance of social interaction, with loneliness being a common experience for those living alone. Coliving, with its emphasis on shared spaces and social interactions, offers a potential solution to this issue.
While coliving is still developing as a sector, it is increasingly recognized for its potential to transform urban living by blending private convenience with communal support. Networks like Co-Liv, a network of coliving professionals, offer expert knowledge and like-minded individuals to help those creating their own coliving spaces.
Coliving.com, a booking platform for coliving spaces in over 2,000 cities globally, makes it easier than ever to find a coliving space. Examples of coliving operators include 9Floor Space in Taiwan, Coho in India, Mokrin House in Serbia, Sun and Co in Spain, and Swiss Escape in Sweden.
Looking back at human history, we can see that community living, such as mobile camps for sharing resources, was common among hunter-gatherer societies. The revival of coliving since the middle of the 20th century is a testament to the enduring appeal of communal living in a modern context.
In conclusion, coliving offers a modern, adaptive solution to urban living, addressing affordability, urban density, and social isolation through shared resources and community-building design. As cities continue to grow and evolve, coliving is poised to play an increasingly significant role in shaping urban living.
- Coliving, with its focus on shared spaces and social interactions, may serve as a solution to combat loneliness, a common issue during the pandemic, which has affected individuals living alone.
- Beyond affordability and urban density, coliving spaces also cater to a diverse demographic, offering a sense of community and alleviating feelings of social isolation.
- Sharing facilities and benefiting from economies of scale, residents in coliving spaces can access private space at lower costs, where urban land is becoming scarcer and more expensive.
- The concept of coliving, which combines private spaces with shared communal areas, originated from communal living concepts of the past but has undergone a transformation in the context of modern cities, now offering a unique blend of lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, relationships, pets, travel, and cars.
