During the first six months of 2021, a group of friends, and friends of friends, convened on Zoom for weekly conversations to explore opportunities for creating cohousing in Philadelphia.

We used these guiding practices for our conversations, respecting each other and upholding equity and justice :

• extend and receive welcome
• assume goodwill
• listen with attention, respectful of the learning process for all members of the group
• speak with intention, noting what has relevance to the conversation in the moment
• speak your truth in ways that respect other people’s truth
• respond to others with honest, transparent questions
• tend to the well-being of the group, remaining aware of the impact of your contribution

We began discussing what intentionality means in the context of housing, namely:

• being in relationship with neighbors
• investing in mutually supportive & collaborative relationships
• defining a shared vision

There are many forms of intentional communities where a group chooses to live together, sharing resources, interests, activities, and responsibilities in ways collectively chosen and managed. Some examples include communes, eco-villages, co-living (rental, typically short-term, for younger/transitory population, and more often developer-driven), and cohousing (urban, suburban, or rural). The Foundation for Intentional Communities offers more information.