Co-living

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A shared kitchen in student accommodation at the University of Exeter in England Northernhay House shared kitchen (9622567534).jpg
A shared kitchen in student accommodation at the University of Exeter in England

Co-living [1] is a residential community living model that accommodates three or more biologically unrelated people living in the same dwelling unit. [2] [3] Coliving has seen a noticeable increase in popularity in recent years globally, concentrated in areas experiencing affordable housing crises. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

Studies have concluded coliving enables a more sustainable lifestyle due to shared resources, allowing each individual to consume less energy, water, and space. [9]

History

Sometime between 1933 and 1934, shared living space was designed in north London called 'Isokon', which was established by Wells Coats. It offered similar amenities, such as a shared communal space, workspace, and things such as a laundry area. [10] It was seen as a part of a greater effort during the intra-war period between World War I and World War II by the Modern Architectural Research Group (MARS) to advance modernist discourse in Britain. [10] Another effort to do this idea was in 1937 by Maxwell Fry (a founding member of MARS) and Elizabeth Denby and was called Kensal House. [10]

Co-living spaces began to emerge in part due to rising property prices. [11] Attempts to establish co-living businesses were made in 2014 and 2015 by companies including 13 and Techsquat, but the attempts failed. Later more successful efforts were made to establish co-living businesses. [12] Relaxations on the minimal rental period for private homes were made in June 2018 from six months to three resulted in a boost for the industry. [12] Cities such as New York City have created incentives for co-living companies to build affordable housing in the city. [13]

Usage

Co-living appeals particularly to millennials due to rising property prices. [11] Residents of co-living spaces in Singapore typically range between the ages of 19 and 40 years. They are typically employees of startups, entrepreneurs, or students. [12] High student loan costs are also a factor. [14] From 2005 to 2015, there was a 39% increase for millennials living with housemates. [15] The rise in co-living and similar housing was also impacted by the 2008 financial crisis. [14]

Impact

Co-living has grown in popularity in cities such as New York City and London. [16] A Bloomberg article cited "adult dorms" such as co-living facilities as one of the "eight social trends told us about America's economy in 2018." [17] Hotelier Ian Schrager claimed that co-living spaces were "blurring the distinction between residential and hotels" due in part to differing sensibilities between millennials and previous generations. [18]

References

  1. ↑ "What is Coliving? Part 1/4: The Basic Definition". What is Coliving? Part 1/4: The Basic Definition. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  2. ↑ Tummers, Lidewij (August 2016). "The re-emergence of self-managed co-housing in Europe: A critical review of co-housing research" . Urban Studies. 53 (10): 2023–2040. Bibcode:2016UrbSt..53.2023T. doi:10.1177/0042098015586696. ISSN   0042-0980. S2CID   153712745.
  3. ↑ "Sustainable Coliving Blueprint | Artof.Co". Education, Training, & Advisory for Coliving Entreprenuers. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  4. ↑ "Tiny Rooms, Shared Kitchens: Co-Living on the Rise in Big Cities". Wsj.com. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  5. ↑ "Korea's Co-Living Market Heats Up in 2025". www.worldpropertyjournal.com. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
  6. ↑ Jones, Kaci (2025-05-08). "Co-living properties gain popularity in Charlotte area as people struggle to find affordable housing". WCCB Charlotte's CW. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
  7. ↑ "The downsides of 'coliving,' the new shared housing industry". 2025-05-25. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
  8. ↑ "To Keep Rents Down, Some In Big Cities Turn To 'Co-Living'". Npr.org. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
  9. ↑ Ataman, C; Dino, I Gursel (2019-07-01). "Collective Residential Spaces in Sustainability Development: Turkish Housing Units within Co-Living Understanding". IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 296 (1): 012049. Bibcode:2019E&ES..296a2049A. doi:10.1088/1755-1315/296/1/012049. hdl: 11511/48632 . ISSN   1755-1307.
  10. 1 2 3 Stewart, Matthew (December 2, 2016). "The Collective is Not a New Way of Living – It's an Old One, Commodified". Failed Architecture. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  11. 1 2 Hemnani, Rohit (December 15, 2018). "New real estate sectors reflect changing lifestyles in Asia". Business Times. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 Ramchadani, Nisha (December 15, 2018). "All together now: The growing co-living scene in Singapore". Business Times. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  13. ↑ Chen, Stefanos (November 1, 2018). "Co-Living Goes Affordable". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  14. 1 2 Volpe, Allie (August 13, 2018). "The Strange, Unique Intimacy of the Roommate Relationship". The Atlantic . Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  15. ↑ McDannell, Christine (January 2, 2019). "The Generation Y and Millennial Response to Coliving". KNDRD. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Technologies predicted to be huge in 2019". nine.com.au. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  17. ↑ "What eight social trends told us about America's economy in 2018". Bloomberg . December 30, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Hotel Icon Ian Schrager Thinks Communal Living Is the Future". National Real Estate Investor. December 3, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
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