Third places in the home. The idea of cohousing

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse cohousing in the context of Ray Oldenburg’s theory of a third place. The author argues that cohousing, which promotes the idea of deep social relations in connection with respect for individualism and sustainable consumption and prosumption, can be viewed as a new form of socialization similar to Oldenburg’s concept of the third place. The first part outlines ideas underlying the concept of a third place, while the second part focuses on the assumptions of cohousing and demand conditions for its development. This theoretical article continues the author’s considerations about the concept of third places in the era of globalization.

Keywords

• cohousing
• third place
• community