Several members of the UK Cohousing Network attended the first International Conference on Cohousing in Seattle followed by the 2009 US Cohousing Association Conference.

It was inspiring and amazingly useful as so many of the issues facing both groups living in established cohousing groups and groups trying to set up, are very similar to the ones we deal with in the UK.

We had a rare opportunity to hear how it all started from Jan Gudmand Hoyer who started cohousing in Denmark 40 years ago and has designed numerous cohousing schemes. He has lived in the same cohousing community for 37 years.

To see a short film clip about the International Cohousing Summit starring our very own Mark Westcombe from Lancaster cohousing, go to www.cohousing.org/2009/ICS.

To read many of the conference presentations including slides on cohousing go to www.cohousing.org/2009/presentations.