Cohousing & Community-led Living

As Europe faces an acute housing crisis and rising social isolation, community-led living offers a compelling alternative to conventional development. By putting community at the centre, models such as cohousing and intergenerational living embed mutual support directly into the residential fabric. This approach acts as a vital antidote to loneliness while pioneering a philosophy where less is more. Residents achieve a higher quality of life on fewer private square metres by sharing infrastructure like kitchens, workspaces, and gardens, significantly reducing their per-person environmental footprint. With current European policy discussions recognising that we cannot simply build our way out of the housing shortage, resident-led developments demonstrate how co-design and shared governance can create sustainable, socially cohesive neighbourhoods that integrate informal care seamlessly into daily life.

Below, you will find a curated collection of resources exploring the practicalities of collaborative living, from research on sufficiency in the building sector to insights on the European Affordable Housing Plan. The page highlights pioneering organisations such as Baugenossenschaft mehr als wohnen, Almenr, and Assemble, alongside tangible projects like A House for Artists and Bikes and Rails that bring intentional communities to life. You can also discover opportunities to connect with practitioners at gatherings including the Coliving Conference 2026 and the Zusammenleben Festival. We invite you to explore these materials to understand how shared spaces and resident-led governance are reshaping the future of European housing.