Co-operative Land-Use

Introduction 

As competitive market economies increasingly pervade numerous sectors of community life the traditional forms of land ownership and resource distribution are faced with a vast array of emerging issues. Land and resource ownership has come forward as a leading issue of concern for many communities in need of affordable housing and equitable land use management. Faced with the challenge of addressing pressing social and environmental needs with inadequate public and charitable funds, many people are realising that new or alternate models of land ownership are required.

Co-operative land-use has played a vital role in the evolution of human society since time immemorial. In both concept and practice it has taken many forms and been applied in a variety of settings. Indeed, the systems and styles of co-operative land-use design and implementation continue to evolve forcing practitioners to accept an array of models as legitimate. This section is meant to provide those interested in co-operative living with an overview of how different ideas of land ownership have taken form through various co-operative land use practices. Given the different practices of co-operative land management, this section is an attempt to prompt further discussion around land co-operatives; it does not attempt to define a universal form of co-operative land-use management.

At the heart of this section is a concern for the long-term well-being of local communities. Today’s land co-operatives stress a commitment to the sustainable development of their communities. Recognising growth itself as problematic, many land co-operatives are attempting to reorient their local economies towards a qualitative standard of trade and development as part of a more holistic shift towards long-term community health and well-being.

By focusing our attention on the different approaches to co-op land use we hope to link existing land co-ops. Providing a forum for land co-op networking will help foster a promising movement towards an improved understanding of the common and shared use of our natural resources. In the spirit of ‘thinking globally while acting locally’ co-operative land-use practices have allowed members to meet their basic needs and become community leaders in social sustainability; they ensure that people have access to food, shelter, clothing, health care, and education, and give them a sense of belonging.

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