Will Cohousing Have a Baby Boomer Moment?

CityLab examines the cohousing concept—a way of living popular in parts of Europe that has yet to take off in the United States. Could that be about to change?

1 minute read

January 21, 2015, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Chris Bentley begins an article on cohousing by exploring examples of the concept in Copenhagen, where the living arrangement is more popular than in the United States. In fact, between 1 and 8 percent of Danes live in a cohousing arrangement of some variety.

The cohousing story has been slow to develop in the United States, however. According to Bentley, "[about] 130 cohousing communities exist in the U.S., according to the Cohousing Association, a nonprofit based in Durham, North Carolina. [Kathryn] McCamant, whose firm Cohousing Partners has built dozens of communities, predicts the number will double within 10 years.

Bentley adds a critical point about the potential adoption of cohousing in the United States: "If that happens it will be thanks to one demographic force of nature: baby boomers."

Bentley goes on to survey examples of "cohos" in the United States (such as the Ithaca EcoVillage), as well as some of the financial and regulatory hurdles to developing more.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015 in CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

5 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

7 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine