Chapter 04 · People & supply chainsHuman Rights & Social Sustainability
Cohousing
Definition
Cohousing is a form of intentional community in which residents own or rent private dwellings clustered around shared facilities — typically a common house with shared kitchen and dining, gardens and workshops — and collectively manage the community. The model originated in Denmark in the late 1960s and has spread internationally.
References
Supports definition and framing.
Overview
What it means
It sits between conventional housing and communes: private households, shared infrastructure, deliberate neighbourliness.
How it is used
Residents share meals, maintenance and decision-making; the design reduces per-household resource use and combats social isolation.
Why it matters
Cohousing addresses social sustainability — loneliness, care, affordability — alongside measurable resource efficiencies.