Thanks, Joe, for letting me know that this thread was happening.

I live in Muir Commons, Davis, California - the first cohousing development in the US. The place is very well thought out and designed to foster interaction between neighbors while allowing for privacy when wanted. It's wonderful to live here. The cherries are ripe in the large orchard and folks are out digging in the gardens.

All the governance, landscaping, organization and management is collectively handled and all decisions are made by consensus. Consensus is a slow process and can be frustrating for goal oriented people but great for folks who value process over goals.

While there have been contentious folks here, they tend to move away in frustration over not being able to get their way. We work best with people who can compromise and work well with others.

We have a common house large enough for feeding 60 and for house concerts. Over the years, many wonderful musicians have graced us with their music. Faith Petric, Utah Phillips, Cindy Callett and Grey Larsen, Brian Bowers, MudLark, Tommy Peoples, and many others have played here.

It's a GREAT place to live.