Senior Cohousing!
By Brian Skeele, on May 23rd, 2011
Enjoyable and affordable. “In a retirement community, things are done for you and to you. In a cohousing community things are done by you.” Sharing caregivers….having fun. How’s this compare to your envisioned retirement?
Mountain View Cohousing Community from David Burwen on Vimeo.
Sounds good to me! Charles Durrett’s Senior Cohousing is an amazing book. He reports on the wide creative options the Danes have created in their senior cohousing communities across Denmark. We can be having way more fun! And way better safety nets!
Share your experiences in senior cohousing…We’re clueless as to what the options are compared to retirement homes!! Together, we can make sustainable real! READ MORE >>
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Fridgehenge
By Brian Skeele, on May 19th, 2011
Once upon a time, in a far off corner of the world…..People would pilgrimage to Santa Fe New Mexico and stare in amazement at what the ancients had created. Right up there with Machu Picchu, Stonehenge, and Chaco Canyon, perched on the old landfill, set one of the testaments to the creative ingenuity of man.
Build with simple tools, and tuned to the cosmos, every solstice earth renewal ceremonies would once again align the planet. Time dealt Fridgehenge harshly, as did the city fathers. It’s now a memory, a long gone relic of a time when the humans began to come to grips with their unsustainable ways.
I love the creative, whimsical, surprising gifts we are. I imagine neighborhoods filled with celebration and artistic expression, from 4 year olds telling jokes on open mic evenings, to roof top viewings of the sunset.
What ingredients would you add to your neighborhood? As it is said “If it ain’t fun, it ain’t sustainable!” Share your ideas, your stories….Together we can make sustainable real!
Image courtesy of bizarrebytes.com… READ MORE >>
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4th of 29 Ways to Make Money on Your Well-Designed Home-Sell Part of Your Home
By Brian Skeele, on May 5th, 2011
I’ve started a list of good ideas that come about if we rethink the functions and interplay of our home and its neighborhood. So far I’ve got 29 killer (If I do say so myself) ideas. The first 7 are home oriented, the last 22 are more neighborhood oriented. Add your ideas to the list via the comment area!
Home Design
4. Sell Part of Your Home
With all the household profiles that don’t fit into the Ward and June Clever, Wally and the Beaver, traditional suburban demographics (2.5 children, dog, and two parents under one roof), there is demand for something else. The latest numbers I’ve heard is only 24% of US households fit the stereotypical household profile.
That means there are a bunch of people looking for a living arrangement that better suits their needs. I’m suggesting you can sell off part of your house! You could sell 1/3 or 1/4….what a concept! How could this be useful to you? Share your ideas below!! … READ MORE >>
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A Sustainable Way of Life Becomes the Curriculum! Part 2
By Brian Skeele, on May 4th, 2011
Imagine. An elementary school and the surrounding neighborhoods joining together to become a sustainable community with the school at its heart. Part 2
Food; Community, Connection, Curriculum, and Cooking
Health, nutrition and cooking are all coordinated around the local agriculture program, “Yards to Farms”. The school’s kitchen has an expanded program that uses food to teach and create a more sustainable lifestyle. “Farms to Schools” and “Yards to Farms” bring regionally grown food to the plate, increasing local food security while lowering the shipping distances. Children now have a personal connection with their food as they regularly take working field trips to farms in the region and integrate classroom learning with hands-on growing. Several homes and commercial facilities in the neighborhood have constructed attached greenhouses, so food production is a year-round occurrence in the community.
Salsa Café and Bakery has transformed the former school kitchen into a great place for a meal. The facility is used “around the clock”, with the “Git ‘n Go Assembled Meals,” two different meal share plans, and the evening music scene where kids and adults get together and have a lot of fun playing music. Culinary and baking skills are taught to all ages, and the meals feature local and regional organic produce, dairy, fruit and meats.
The “Git ‘n Go Assembled Meals” program, especially appreciated by working parents, … READ MORE >>
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Create Your Desired Future, Thriving and Sustainable!
By Brian Skeele, on April 30th, 2011
Here’s how I see it…if you are willing to design a sustainable lifestyle, and move in, you are in the driver’s seat! The construction/development industry needs YOUR vision so the emerging sustainable economy can…..emerge!
You zero in on the floor plan that works for you, the amenities you’d like to have in your neighborhood, as well as the price you can afford. The planners, architects, city policy department, and investors will do their dangest to pool your ideas with other prospective neighbors and come up with scenarios that meet your needs.
I want to facilitate your efforts in any way I can and here’s another attempt to give you a breakdown of areas that you might consider.
You get your own page , and can come back any time and make changes. (until Buddy Press is set up, enter your ideas in comment below!). If you want to think about some elements for awhile, don’t feel obligated to address all the elements. Other contributors will propose ideas you can spark off of.
Creating a socially, economically and ecologically sustainable is a complicated challenge. Together we can make sustainable real!!
- Describe the floor plan of your future home.
- Maybe you only want 500 sf (see floor plans for ideas), maybe you’d like to rent out a room to supplement your income.
- Describe the amenities you’d like to have in house or would be willing to share.
- Maybe you’d be ok with sharing a washer/dryer with others, as long as it was really conveniently located, and water and energy efficient. Maybe having an affordable guest room would be just the thing.
- Describe your neighborhood.
- What shops and services do you need nearby?
- How about water features?
- A pond in the neighborhood? how about an outdoor shower?
- What about food?
- Need a garden? How about a place to do outdoor grilling? a personal compost pile, or a community composting service?
- Describe your preferences around transportation.
- Car share, bike, skateboard, bus, pogo stick, walking?
- Fun!
- Recreation, hobbies, sports, entertainment
- Open space, nature, habitat.
- Would you incorporate nature into your neighborhood? How?
- How about career/jobs?
- Lifelong learning, startup support, professional development?
- What would work for your retirement scenario?
- Working out of your home as a consultant?
- What about health?
- Healthcare plan, preventative healthcare, aging in place strategies? Need some help with your relationship skills?
- Giving and Receiving
- Are there specific services would you like to give? services you would like to receive?
- Quality of Life
- Aesthetics, spiritual/religious considerations
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Renovating Your Neighborhood Sustainable!
By Brian Skeele, on April 25th, 2011
Cooperation, Collaboration, a community based on common values…..Sounds so technical! What if your neighborhood made choices like incorporating a swimming pool or a movie theater into the community?? The ownership structure could be by membership, a coop, or a private business. The list of possible shared amenities and services is endless.
Transforming the American Dream
Maybe you’d like to down size in your neighborhood into a compound of casitas, small homes for seniors. Maybe your daughter would like more independence and yet would like to live nearby in one of the casitas. Maybe she has autism or maybe she’s changing careers.
The American Dream is morphing into community. We’re learning to work together to create a more abundant lifestyle, where we share more, own less, and have a higher quality of life, while living lighter on the planet.
What services and amenities would you like in your neighborhood? What would you like to give?
Share your ideas!! together we can make sustainable real! As for the neighborhood theater?? I make the best popcorn in the world.
Image courtesy of Architectural Record
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Dreaming Green, Living Dilemmas
By Brian Skeele, on April 18th, 2011
Rob Althouse shares some of the dilemmas in evolving a green lifestyle. Remembering as a child walking to every thing, and waking up as an adult in a walking to nothing world. Putting an overly expensive solar system on a non solar home. Feeling like an inmate in an insane world. ahhh, the joys of the times….
Find more videos like this on The Green Line
We all have pieces to this sustainable lifestyle puzzle. Share yours!
Together we can make sustainable real!… READ MORE >>
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3rd of 29 Ways to Make Money on Your Home-Open a Commercial Shop
By Brian Skeele, on April 15th, 2011
I’ve started a list of good ideas that come about if we rethink the functions and interplay of our home and its neighborhood. So far I’ve got 29 killer (If I do say so myself) ideas. The first 7 are home oriented, the last 22 are more neighborhood oriented. Add your ideas to the list via the comment area!
Home Design
I like the idea, the signage could be improved!
3. Rent Out a Work Space
Live/work homes have a separate workspace with commercial potential. What if you reconfigured part of your house to be a workshop or a commercial space? Of course the zoning may not allow it. Here in Santa Fe, home occupation is an accepted usage, with conditions on how many parking spaces and the number of allowable employees. A big difference between home occupation and commercial in the eyes of Santa Fe regulations is the home occupation is for appointment only customers/
If your clientele would “follow you home” , opening up your business out of your house could be a large saving.
Maybe your house has a great location, and a neighbor is interested in opening up a yoga studio; maybe you just don’t need such a big house, and could use the income. … READ MORE >>
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2nd of 29 WAYS TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR WELL DESIGNED HOME AND NEIGHBORHOOD
By Brian Skeele, on April 14th, 2011
I’ve started a list of good ideas that come about if we rethink the functions and interplay of our home and its neighborhood. So far I’ve got 29 killer (If I do say so myself) ideas. The first 7 are home oriented, the last 22 are more neighborhood oriented. Add to the list via the comment area!
Home Design
Granny Flat Above Garage
#2. Rent Out “Granny Flat” Over Garage
The space above the garage is an opportunity for a guest room, separate residence, or a home office. A typical garage is what, 20′ x 24 ‘? That is 480 sq ft. I know I want to stay independent when I get older, and having my own space would be fabulous!
The space could work really well for a young person as well. They’re learning to be more independent and they have a bio-clock that likes to stay up late and get up late.
Maybe you’d like to move into the granny flat, and rent out the main house, staying in the neighborhood with long time friends.
Design tips.
Going up stairs is a great way to stay in shape. Maybe at some point, … READ MORE >>
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1 of 29 WAYS TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR WELL DESIGNED HOME AND NEIGHBORHOOD
By Brian Skeele, on April 11th, 2011
As we face higher gasoline prices again, we’re getting more practice in the emerging, post peak oil economy. Our ingenuity will kick in, our lifestyle will transform, all “good for people, the planet, and the polar bears”. With this global warming dealie, time is of the essence; we can evolve faster, learn from our mistakes, share good ideas, and have fun! Share your ideas, dreams and ingenuity! We can make sustainable real!
I’ve started a list of good ideas that come about if we rethink the functions and interplay of our home and its neighborhood. So far I’ve got 29 killer (If I do say so myself) ideas. The first 7 are home oriented, the last 22 are more neighborhood oriented. Add to the list via the comment area!
Home Design
#1. Rent Out a Room
Maybe one of your family boomerangs, and ends up back home. Maybe you just got sick and tired of trying to do it all yourself. Maybe you’re ready to change careers, go back to school, retire, or get divorced. Our suburban, rugged individual, nuclear family lifestyle isn’t set up to be as supportive as it can be. Just the opposite, sprawl and isolation throw up barriers. So take a sledge hammer to it! Tear out a wall, add a door! make it a private entrance. Make life easier on yourself…. READ MORE >>
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