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A solution to our housing problems: co-living and co-existence

  • by J.W.

Sidmouth has an ageing population:

Sidmouth is singled out as one of the towns facing the biggest increase in the elderly

But it needs homes for young families too:

New housing for local people

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We clearly need to be looking at ‘new ways of living’ in the face of changing demographics and high prices.

One way ahead might be to relax housing regulations:

Futures Forum: On zoning, self-build and affordable housing … relaxed planning laws in the United States

Another might be self-build:

Futures Forum: A solution to our housing problems: a three-bed family home for £27,000

Or we all just live in tiny homes – aka ‘hobbit homes’:

Futures Forum: A solution to our housing problems: tiny houses

Futures Forum: A solution to our housing problems: tiny houses: part two

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The Financial Times’ Lucy Watson tried out the latest development – and she wasn’t too impressed:

My night in a millennial hobbit home: Co-living development Mason & Fifth has everything a Londoner could want — except space

My night in a millennial hobbit home | FInancial Times

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Nor was the Guardian:

‘Co-living’: the end of urban loneliness – or cynical corporate dormitories?

With communal space and amenities all shared in what are sometimes vast complexes, co-living is billed as a solution to the housing crisis – but others say it’s simply an attempt to cash in on it

‘Co-living’: the end of urban loneliness – or cynical corporate dormitories? | Guardian

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Earlier in the year, the FT looked at the idea of ‘co-existence’, which was much more impressive:

Space comes at a premium in megacities — community does too: New models of living encourage social inclusion and blending generations

Space comes at a premium in megacities — community does too | Financial Times

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Which included a trip to Denmark:

Co-existence village, a new urban development being worked on in Odense, Denmark, integrates a dementia village into a residential neighborhood with family housing, youth housing, day care, cafes, playgrounds and several businesses.

NEW VILLAGES ARE THE FUTURE OF DEMENTIA & ALZHEIMER’S CARE | assistivetechnologysblog.com

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FInally, here’s “a dialogue with New York City’s leading experts on the intersection of green building design and social equity, energy efficiency and zero waste goals”:

http://iframe%20src=https://player.vimeo.com/video/354215169%20width=640%20height=360%20frameborder=0%20allow=autoplay;%20fullscreen%20allowfullscreen/iframe%20pa%20href=https://vimeo.com/354215169Creating%20a%20Higher%20Living%20Standard%20with%20LEED%20v.4.1:%20Mahesh%20Ramanujam,%20USGBC%20-%2005.01.2019/a%20from%20a%20href=https://vimeo.com/centerforarchitectureCenter%20for%20Architecture/a%20on%20a%20href=https://vimeo.comVimeo/a./p

Creating a Higher Living Standard with LEED v.4.1: Mahesh Ramanujam, USGBC – 05.01.2019