Schedule
Thursday, May 14 & Friday, May 15 - Tours
Community Tours: Vashon Island & Seattle Area Communities
Purchased separately
Join us for immersive tours to visit thriving cohousing communities across the Seattle region. Each tour showcases a different set of communities—from urban, walkable cohousing in the heart of the city to island communities rooted in nature and connection. You’ll hear directly from residents, tour shared spaces and homes, and get a behind-the-scenes look at how these communities were created and sustained.
Saturday, May 16 - Summit
The Cohousing Summit: Seattle - Program Schedule
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Registration + Connections
Location: Gould Court
Enjoy coffee and light bites while you connect with communitarians and explore exhibits.
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Plenary Event: Cohousing Past, Present, & Future
Location: Architecture 147
The day opens with a plenary conversation moderated by KUOW’s Joshua McNichols, featuring leaders behind some of Seattle’s most compelling models: Chad Dale of Shared Roof, a mixed-use, family-oriented collaborative housing community in Phinney Ridge; Senait Brown of House of Mkeka, an intergenerational, Black-led pocket neighborhood rooted in culture, autonomy, and collective care; and Grace Kim of Schemata Workshop and Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing (CHUC), a nationally recognized example of urban cohousing designed to foster daily connection. Together, they’ll ground the day in real-world perspectives on how community takes shape across different models.
11:30 am - 12:45 pm
Lunch Break
Location: Loading Dock behind Gould Court
Enjoy a delicious meal from one of the food trucks: Where Ya At, Matt? or El Pachi (self-pay). They have a variety of options including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Enjoy the chance to connect with fellow attendees and explore community booths before afternoon sessions begin.
Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple engaging breakout sessions in each time slot to explore the topics that matter most to you.
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Designing for Connection: An Architect Panel
Location: Gould 110
Architects experienced in cohousing share how design can support connection, collaboration, and daily community life. Panelists discuss lessons learned from projects across the Pacific Northwest.
New Community Showcase
Location: Gould 114
Meet groups actively creating new cohousing communities and hear the vision guiding their work. Rooted Northwest, 4th Corner Commons, Sunnyside Village, and Snowberry Commons share where they are in the development process and what they’re learning along the way. A great session for dreamers to learn from communities currently in formation.
House of Mkeka: A Model for Self-Determined Communal Living
Location: Gould 322
Members of House of Mkeka share the story behind their collective of eight multigenerational Black households creating a cottage-style pocket neighborhood in Seattle. Grounded in community care, autonomy, and cultural legacy, the project models an innovative approach to equitable housing, aging in place, and self-determined community.
Designing for Social Wellbeing: Lessons from Post-Occupancy Research
Location: Gould 100
Happy Cities shares research on how housing designed for connection impacts social wellbeing, including a study with Our Urban Village. Learn how their design toolkit is helping developers, architects, and cities create more socially connected housing.
Options for Interpersonal Tensions
Location: Gould 435
You’re feeling frustrated with someone in your group. Do you talk with them about it? What are your options? We’ll briefly explore a variety of ways of engaging, avoiding, and recruiting assistance to address tensions and conflicts.
2:15pm - 3:15pm
Common Meals: The Secret Sauce of Community
Location: Gould 110
Residents from Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing and Crow Woods share how their communities organize common meals, offering two very different models that nourish connection and daily life together.
Communities as Vehicles for Social Transformation
Location: Gould 322
Sky Blue explores how intentional communities can serve as catalysts for broader social change. This session looks at the role of community in advancing cooperation, resilience, and new possibilities for how we live together.
Everyday Life in Cohousing: Kids, Care, and Getting It Done
Location: Gould 435
Residents share what daily life in cohousing really looks like, from raising kids to sharing care and getting things done together. Featuring voices from Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing and Jackson Place, including individuals who grew up in cohousing.
From Vision to Reality: Why Professional Partners Matter
Location: Gould 114
Moderated by cohousing pioneer Katie McCamant, this panel brings together a developer, architect, marketing consultant, and process consultant to explore how professional partners help groups move from vision to a built community.
3:30pm - 4:30pm
Good Enough Communities: Group Process in Practice
Location: Gould 435
Process consultant Karen Gimnig explores how communities can move forward without getting stuck in perfectionism. Learn practical tools for decision-making, participation, and building resilient group culture.
Developing New Cohousing Communities
Location: Gould 114
Developer Danny Milman of Urban Development Partners shares lessons from bringing new cohousing communities to life, including key steps, partnerships, and practical considerations along the development path.
Marketing 101: Finding Your Future Neighbors
Location: Gould 110
Learn the basics of marketing a forming cohousing community. This session covers practical strategies for reaching potential members, telling your story, and building momentum as your group grows.
Affordable by Design: Community-Rooted Housing Models
Location: Gould 322
Explore pathways to more accessible, community-centered housing. This panel highlights models including community land trusts, co-buying, and housing cooperatives, and how they can expand affordability while strengthening connection.
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Closing Reception
Location: Gould Court
Wrap up the day at our casual evening reception—connect with fellow attendees and unwind with drinks from the cash bar.
6:00 pm
Optional Dine Arounds
Join fellow attendees for optional dine-arounds at local restaurants—enjoy good food and conversation. Meals are self-pay and not included with registration. Sign up throughout the day in the exhibit hall
Sunday, May 17 - Tours
Community Tours: Pacific Northwest Communities & Bainbridge Island
Purchased separately
Join us for immersive tours to visit thriving cohousing communities across the Seattle region. Each tour showcases a different set of communities—from urban, walkable cohousing in the heart of the city to island communities rooted in nature and connection. You’ll hear directly from residents, tour shared spaces and homes, and get a behind-the-scenes look at how these communities were created and sustained.