Arboretum Cohousing is a cohousing community that is designed to encourage interactions between people and enrich our lives with the pleasure of cooperation and friendship. The community is a mix of affordable market-rate and low-income units. We care about the earth and are committed to environmentally sustainable practices and building techniques. Our multigenerational community welcomes diversity and values the input of each person.

Sharing Our Lives We are a community in which we share work, celebrations, laughter and tears. We support each other through the milestones of life. We sustain each other as we learn, raise children, and become wise elders. We strive to build a community where we can all belong for a lifetime.

Environmental Consciousness Arboretum Cohousing strives to make our community as environmentally sustainable as possible, while still providing affordable housing. We weigh long-term environmental impacts as we decide how to create our village. We support each other in making sound day-to-day living choices that reduce our impact on the earth. We recycle, reuse, and share resources whenever possible. We welcome opportunities to integrate our personal lives and livelihoods and conserve resources by bringing our work into our homes

A Diverse Community We are committed to creating a diverse co-housing community. We embrace diversity in race, age, income level, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnicity and physical ability. We honor our differences and support the uniqueness and growth of each person. We respect individual beliefs and encourage diverse traditions, celebrations and explorations of the spirit.

Safety and Trust A feeling of safety and trust is a key component of community. We foster this element within our community by respecting each other's beliefs, accepting each other as individuals, and communicating openly and honestly. We build a safe and nurturing village for everyone, and especially for our children. We have governance structures and processes that maintain the social community and the physical spaces.

Decision Making We make decisions using every member's participation and inherent wisdom. Each of us as individuals is empowered while we work toward furthering the community's needs and goals.

Balancing Community and Privacy We value both community and privacy and seek to have a balance between the two. We have shared spaces, such as the common house, in which we can participate in common meals, celebrations, and activities. We also have the independent private space of our own homes.

Participating in the Larger Community We value the riches that being part of the community brings to us. We seek healthy interactions with our neighbors, with the Greenbush Neighborhood community and the city, state and global communities. We strive to be an inspirational resource locally, and a bridge to other communities in the world at large.

Outdoor Spaces Arboretum Cohousing includes both community and personal outdoor spaces. Gardens, natural spaces, landscaping, and architectural design all work together to create a unique sense of place. Working together in the garden fosters our connection to the earth, and our connection to each other. We work to create an aesthetically pleasing place to live.

The Interconnectedness of Life We recognize that we are a part of the interconnected web of life, so we strive to treat the natural community with responsibility and respect. We consider this community when making decisions. We create and maintain habitat for native plants and animals.

De-emphasizing the Automobile To encourage connections between people and to reduce environmental impacts, we commit to de-emphasizing the automobile. Arboretum Cohousing is a pedestrian-oriented community. Parking and streets are on the periphery of the community. We encourage the use of alternative means of transportation by locating our community within walking distance of the bus line and within biking distance of downtown Madison.

Adapted from Corvalis Cohousing's Vision Statement