Achieving sustainable urban development

The ongoing global trend of urbanization has concentrated the world's population in cities, leading to significant challenges, particularly in the housing sector. In the Netherlands, issues like housing shortages, affordability, and energy inefficiencies have heightened the demand for innovative housing solutions. Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) has emerged as a transformative approach, yet its integration with grassroots Cohousing in the Dutch context remains underexplored. This research examines the potential of cohousing as a transformative housing model and its role in promoting SUD within local urban governance. Unlike traditional housing, cohousing emphasizes ecological consciousness and social well-being through collaborative efforts among community groups and stakeholders. This shapes an environmentally efficient and socially cohesive housing paradigm. The study centers on a specific cohousing variant, "Collective Private Commissioning" (CPOs), in Utrecht, Netherlands, allowing for an in-depth exploration within a local context. The research addresses challenges such as the relative nature of sustainability concepts and language barriers in interviews. By bridging theory with empirical insights, the study enriches understanding and provides evidence-based clarity on the cohousing model's relationship with SUD. This investigation is significant for academic discourse and policy-making, offering nuanced insights into how cohousing can tackle housing challenges, foster sustainable practices, and align with local governance objectives. Understanding the interplay between cohousing, local governance, and SUD informs informed urban development strategies. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative data from interviews and observations with quantitative insights from surveys and case study documents for a comprehensive perspective. This strategy ensures robust findings, as data analysis uses open coding and frequency analysis. The varied data collection methods foster triangulation for validity and reliability. The multifaceted contributions of cohousing to social, environmental, and economic sustainability are revealed. The analysis shows how cohousing nurtures social cohesion, fostering belonging and shared responsibility among residents. It also demonstrates how cohousing promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle, influencing energy consumption and sustainable practices. Economically, cohousing lowers living costs and builds resilient communities. Partnership relations, as seen in the De Kersentuin case study, highlight the synergies and challenges in cohousing development. However, the time-intensive nature of cohousing might limit its scalability in urgent housing scenarios. While Cohousing is not a panacea for all housing needs, it offers a valuable model within a diverse housing landscape. Future research should adopt broader perspectives to enhance cohousing's accessibility and applicability, addressing diverse urban housing challenges. In navigating urbanization complexities, cohousing stands as a practical step toward a more sustainable future.