Small is Necessary
Shared Living on a Shared Planet
Does small mean less? Not necessarily. In an era of housing crises, environmental unsustainability and social fragmentation, the need for more sociable, affordable and sustainable housing is vital. The answer? Shared living - from joint households to land-sharing, cohousing and ecovillages.
Using successful examples from a range of countries, Anitra Nelson shows how 'eco-collaborative housing' - resident-driven low impact living with shared facilities and activities - can address the great social, economic and sustainability challenges that householders and capitalist societies face today. Sharing living spaces and facilities results in householders having more amenities and opportunities for neighbourly interaction.
Small is Necessary places contemporary models of 'alternative' housing and living at centre stage arguing that they are outward-looking, culturally rich, with low ecological footprints and offer governance techniques for a more equitable and sustainable future.
Using successful examples from a range of countries, Anitra Nelson shows how 'eco-collaborative housing' - resident-driven low impact living with shared facilities and activities - can address the great social, economic and sustainability challenges that householders and capitalist societies face today. Sharing living spaces and facilities results in householders having more amenities and opportunities for neighbourly interaction.
Small is Necessary places contemporary models of 'alternative' housing and living at centre stage arguing that they are outward-looking, culturally rich, with low ecological footprints and offer governance techniques for a more equitable and sustainable future.
This book is available to download through the Open Access programme.
Anitra Nelson is Honorary Principal Fellow at the Informal Urbanism Research Hub (InfUr-), University of Melbourne, Australia and co-author of Exploring Degrowth, co-editor of Life Without Money and author of Marx's Concept of Money.
'With great insight, Anitra Nelson shows how collaborative housing is emerging across the world to re-ignite the 'Small is Beautiful' spirit of E.F. Schumacher. This is a wonderful guide featuring inspiring examples for those who want to use shared eco-housing to tackle the challenges ahead' - Paul Chatterton, Professor of Urban Futures, University of Leeds, and co-founder of the Lilac cohousing co-operative
'This is a timely report and a critical and informed exploration of an important and growing housing sector in which ideas of equity, sharing, and ecological responsibility are essential parts of real, successful communities' - Paul Downton — Ecopolis urbanist and cofounder of Christie Walk cohousing (Adelaide, Australia)
List of Figures, Tables and Boxes
Abbreviations
Glossary
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Less is More: Living Closely on a Finite Planet
Part I: Compact Urban Housing
2. Once We Were Small: Traditional and Contemporary Homes
3. Apartment Living in Cities
4. Apartment Household Practices and Affordability
Part II: Eco-Cohousing and Ecovillages
5. From Sharing a House to Eco-cohousing
6. Ecovillages: Sustainability and System Change
Part III: Futures: Scaling Up, Shared Landscapes, Shared Livelihoods
7. ‘Will You Dance With Us?’ Governments and Collaborative Housing
8. ‘To Market, To Market’: Eco-collaborative Housing for Sale
9. Grassroots Sustainability, Sociality and Governance
Conclusion
10. Small is Necessary and, with Sharing, Feasible
Appendix: Key Sources and Links
Notes
Index
Abbreviations
Glossary
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Less is More: Living Closely on a Finite Planet
Part I: Compact Urban Housing
2. Once We Were Small: Traditional and Contemporary Homes
3. Apartment Living in Cities
4. Apartment Household Practices and Affordability
Part II: Eco-Cohousing and Ecovillages
5. From Sharing a House to Eco-cohousing
6. Ecovillages: Sustainability and System Change
Part III: Futures: Scaling Up, Shared Landscapes, Shared Livelihoods
7. ‘Will You Dance With Us?’ Governments and Collaborative Housing
8. ‘To Market, To Market’: Eco-collaborative Housing for Sale
9. Grassroots Sustainability, Sociality and Governance
Conclusion
10. Small is Necessary and, with Sharing, Feasible
Appendix: Key Sources and Links
Notes
Index
Published by Pluto Press in Jan 2018
Paperback ISBN: 9780745334226
135mm x 215mm