Pocket Neighbourhoods
This is an excerpt from an article in Sanctuary magazine issue 16.
Close-knit community, increased sociability, playmates aplenty – the benefits of pocket neighbourhoods are many.
Words Paul Downton
Between the standalone privacy of a dwelling on its own block and the communal aspirations of co-housing lies a balance that more and more people are seeking.
The movement towards co-housing, intentional communities and more neighbourly development has been happening for decades – it is no accident that the scale of the tribe, the village and the neighbourhood are so similar.
“Pocket neighbourhood” is a term coined by US architect Ross Chapin to describe a style of development that taps into that deep-felt need for community. These developments can be in urban, suburban or rural areas but they all echo a pattern of life common to traditional communities around the world; Chapin calls them “neighbourhoods within neighbourhoods”.
If you’d like to read the rest of this article you can buy this issue here.
