This week’s Bottom-Up Revolution podcast guest is Lisa Leslie, who helped lead an effort to create a cohousing community with 11 families in Silverton, Oregon. Lisa and her husband went from living with two other families (including Strong Towns Content Manager, John Pattison’s family) in a cooperative house, to dreaming of building a full-fledged cohousing community, to seeing that dream come to fruition this past year.
Cohousing is a term that really applies to the way most humans live around the world today and throughout history: it’s living with extended family and friends in close proximity, rather than having individuals and single households all occupying private, separate dwelling places. In Lisa’s case, the cohousing community she helped found, Evans Oaks, is made up of several small homes, clustered together, with lots of shared space and a commitment to doing life together. This isn’t some socialist commune, it’s folks who want to live close to their neighbors, share some duties and expenses, and have a support system around them.
We feature Lisa’s story today because it’s a wonderful example of someone envisioning a strong community and incrementally building it with her neighbors. The lessons she shares today—about patience and dedication and committing to deep engagement with one’s community—bear relevance even beyond a particular living situation. We hope it provides a fresh way to think about how we choose to live, no matter who your household or housemates are.
Sara Joy Proppe: Helping Churches Use Placemaking To Connect With the Community
Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen: A Grassroots Community Advocate
Maddy Novich: Not Your Typical Bike Activist!
Deatra Kemp: Helping First-Time Homebuyers Realize Their Dreams
Adam Greenfield and Miriam Schoenfield: Fighting Freeway Widening in Austin
Jessica Peacock: Fighting for a Family-Owned Grocery Store
Jon Jon Wesolowski: Chattanooga Urbanist Society
Jennifer Gaughran: Running the Strong Towns Toastmasters Group
Dustin LaFont: The Largest Community Bike Shop in Louisiana
Alisha Loch: Keeping Norwood, OH, Vibrant for Future Generations
Scott Jones: Building Neighborhood Connections With Acts of Hospitality
Aimee and Cody Frederick: Café Owners and Conversation Leaders
Shelby Wild: Breaking Down Barriers to Local Food
Marques King: Doing Incremental Development in Detroit
Gary Oddi: A Lifelong Educator Advocating for Active Transportation
Barry Greene: A Dad Advocating for Density and Localism
Noah Tang: Working Alongside Local Government
LeVette Fuller: Actively Making a Strong Town
Introducing Your New Host for The Bottom-Up Revolution!
Top of the Bottom-Up: Creating a Coffee Shop for the Whole Neighborhood
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