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According to the Worldwatch Institute, “People who are socially connected tend to be healthier—often significantly so.” Over a dozen long-term studies in Japan, Scandinavia, and the United States corroborate this, showing that regardless of cause, the chances of dying in a given year, is two to five times greater for people who are isolated than for socially connected people.
 

In addition to improving health, strong social ties have been shown to promote shared use of materials, which often leads to both social and environmental advantages.
 

But how to allocate time to relationships, community-building and social interactions in an increasingly fast-paced, individualistic society? Enter cohousing, a modern form of village living in which 10–40 individual households live in a development designed to stimulate neighborly interaction.
 

In a cohousing community, houses are often clustered around a courtyard or pedestrian walkway and may share common walls with neighbouring homes. Cars are generally kept at the perimeter of the community property. The intentional design of these communities both promotes social interactions and often decreases energy and resource use as compared to conventional city neighborhoods full of private homes. As an example, a study of 18 communities in the United States in the mid-1990s found that, compared with before they moved into cohousing, members owned 25% percent fewer washers and dryers, while their ownership of lawnmowers decreased by 75 percent. The average living space per household in the 18 communities—including each unit’s share of the common room area—was about 1,400 square feet, two thirds as big as the average new U.S. home in the mid-1990s.

Perhaps the greatest contribution of cohousing communities however, to a high quality of life are the social ties they create. The communities are self-managed, which encourages interactions and sharing. Calgary’s first cohousing development, Prairie Sky, does just that. The 18 unit community, completed in 2003, features 2- and 3-bedroom townhouses and apartments and a 3200 square foot common house located on a 3/4 acre of inner-city land. The central courtyard, community gardens and children's play area feed into a shared common house, featuring a kitchen, dining room, lounge, children's play room, studio, guest room and workshop at the heart of the complex.

A couple of newly forming communities in Calgary are Whiskey Jack and Silver Sky. Whiskey Jack is a group of families and individuals looking to create another cohousing project in Calgary. The group is open to new members who embrace their shared vision,

“At Whiskey Jack, we value relationships with each other and the world around us. Within community we foster respectful relationships, appreciate diversity and delight in friendships. As a community, we strive towards healthy sustainable living through wise stewardship, conservation of resources and interconnection with nature.”

While not specifically a senior cohousing community, Silver Sky is born from members of Prairie Sky desiring a larger focus on seniors’ issues of mobility and care.
 

Enrique Peñalosa, the former Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia said, “A city is successful not when it’s rich but when its people are happy.” If you believe that there is truth in his words, perhaps it is time we devoted more of our resources to building the relationships and new kinds of communities in Calgary that foster health, happiness and environmental sustainability. 
 

For more information about Prairie Sky, Calgary’s existing cohousing development & Silver Sky, visit: < www.prairiesky.ab.ca >

For information or to get involved with Whiskey Jack, Calgary’s newly forming cohousing group, visit: < http://www.WJCohousing.ca >