Most cohousing communities leave automobiles at or near the perimeter of the property. This and sharing the life of the community diminishes the importance of cars in retirement communities.
Retirement Cohousing Directory
Aging
Here Is Both Delightful and Graceful
Are
Rentals a Source of Income or Nuisance?
Attracting Younger People
Common House in Retirement Cohousing
Deciding
If Cohousing Is Your Correct Choice
Ecohousing:
A Green Retirement
Features of Common House
Finding DFW Cohousing Communities
Friction
Making Community Decision
Gardens
in Retirement Cohousing
How
Much Does It Cost?
Importance of Autos Recedes
Innumerable Benefits
of Cohousing
Locating Retirement Cohousing in
DFW
Near
Universal Features
Planning Outdoor Common Areas
Retirement
Cohousing & Your Active Lifestyle
Social Isolation & Loneliness Relating to Dementia &
Alzheimer Disease
What About
Children?
What
Are Usual Common
Areas?
What
Is Shared, Private in Retirement Cohousing?
Although you might eventually need to give up driving for reasons of safety, you will find it easier to do when living in cohousing than an apartment or single family home.
Public transportation availability is growing in Dallas-Fort Worth and is already available in most areas for those who are disabled. If night driving is a problem for entertainment reasons, and if residents desire, the homeowners association can purchase a van and hire a driver for a set number of entertainment hours/times per week.
The importance of cars in the lives of residents begins to recede as soon as they move in cohousing. With car sharing, ride sharing, public transportation, and having services located in the retirement cohousing community, automobiles no longer rule lives.
Most cohousing communities plan for cars to be left at the perimeter of the property. Seniors then use pedestrian walkways to travel around the community.
The advantages:
- There are rarely any attached garages. Attached garages are a health hazard which allow cars to emit heat and toxic gases into the home.
- The space normally used for streets and driveways is used for other community resources.
- Traveling around the community on pedestrian walkways allows neighbors to meet and communicate on a daily basis.
- Frail or disabled seniors are safer, not only from cars but because neighbors see them and watch out for their safety.
- Benches and shaded areas along the walkways encourage a more relaxed and friendly lifestyle for retirees.
This works well retirement cohousing because:
- Cohousing communities are small (compared to subdivisions or large retirement communities) so there is not a great distance to cars from any one home.
- Seniors who feel they need to be near their car for some reason can choose a location near the parking facilities.
- Retirement cohousing communities should have a storage area in the parking area for wagons or other rolling equipment to transport groceries/other items to the individual home or common house.
- Vehicles can access the wide pedestrian walkways in an emergency or for extra-large items to be delivered.
DFW
Ecovillages
Retirement or Intergenerational
Green Housing and Villages
in many areas of
Dallas-Fort Worth.
|
Energy-Efficient, |