Earlier this year, an 800 unit co-living project was approved in downtown San Jose. The developer is Starcity. And it is said to be the largest co-living project in the pipeline in the United States right now.
A few months later (presumably because of this project), San Jose also created a new "co-living" land-use classification. It is similarly thought to be a first for US cities.
I think it still remains to be seen how broad the market can be for co-living. Do older generations also want to go back to dorm-like living? Or is this a housing solution mainly for twenty-somethings?
At the same time, it's not an entirely new housing idea. I like the parallel that Sarah Holder of CityLab draws between today's co-living and yesterday's
Earlier this year, an 800 unit co-living project was approved in downtown San Jose. The developer is Starcity. And it is said to be the largest co-living project in the pipeline in the United States right now.
A few months later (presumably because of this project), San Jose also created a new "co-living" land-use classification. It is similarly thought to be a first for US cities.
I think it still remains to be seen how broad the market can be for co-living. Do older generations also want to go back to dorm-like living? Or is this a housing solution mainly for twenty-somethings?
At the same time, it's not an entirely new housing idea. I like the parallel that Sarah Holder of CityLab draws between today's co-living and yesterday's
Brandon Donnelly
Daily insights for city builders. Published since 2013 by Toronto-based real estate developer Brandon Donnelly.
LA-based startup, Canoo, is trying to rethink urban transport and, more specifically, how people use and consume electric vehicles. They aren't planning on launching in Los Angeles until next year, but here's what is apparent so far.
(1) The vehicles (pictured above) are far more utilitarian in their design -- though still attractive. The focus does not seem to be on creating objects of desire, which is how cars have historically been sold.
(2) The interiors are more living room-like in their seating configurations. This makes them feel less like a car and more like public transit (or a prom party limo).
(3) The plan is for these vehicles to be available through a commitment-free monthly membership, as opposed to through a traditional lease or purchase option.
These features are the sorts of things that many have been predicting would happen. But they remain signals for the future of the "car." They are also perfectly well suited to autonomy.
If you'd like to join their waitlist, you can do that here. I just did and apparently I'm #5967 in line. I have no idea when they hope to launch in Toronto, but who doesn't love a good waitlist? The illusion of scarcity can be a powerful motivator.
Update: My position in line has improved to #229 because of all of the "referrals" generated by this post. Canoo has done a good job using their waitlist system to generate exposure and solicit early customer feedback.
My friend Eric Roseman, who lives in Los Angeles, just sent me this, knowing that I would almost certainly like the idea and want to write about it on the blog. This, is called The Passage of a Few People Through a Rather Brief Moment in Time.
It's over now. But from 2009 to earlier this year (2019), it was a collection of people who would meet every Wednesday night at 9pm at California Donuts #21 in Koreatown in order to cycle the city, see new things, and "see old things anew."
Given that each Wednesday night ride was about 20-35 miles, the group has covered a lot of ground over the last decade. Here is a cumulative map of their routes. You can also see an animated version, here.
I like the idea of traditions and doing things repeatedly, because I think that grit is an important characteristic and I believe in compounding. It's part of the reason why I write a daily blog and why I do an annual snowboarding trip.
But I also think that biking is one of the best ways to experience a city. So, yeah, Eric, you were right. I do like this.
There are, of course, many differences, including the amount of space dedicated to common areas (the community aspect). But in both cases, part of the value proposition is about affordability.
Where do you see co-living going?
LA-based startup, Canoo, is trying to rethink urban transport and, more specifically, how people use and consume electric vehicles. They aren't planning on launching in Los Angeles until next year, but here's what is apparent so far.
(1) The vehicles (pictured above) are far more utilitarian in their design -- though still attractive. The focus does not seem to be on creating objects of desire, which is how cars have historically been sold.
(2) The interiors are more living room-like in their seating configurations. This makes them feel less like a car and more like public transit (or a prom party limo).
(3) The plan is for these vehicles to be available through a commitment-free monthly membership, as opposed to through a traditional lease or purchase option.
These features are the sorts of things that many have been predicting would happen. But they remain signals for the future of the "car." They are also perfectly well suited to autonomy.
If you'd like to join their waitlist, you can do that here. I just did and apparently I'm #5967 in line. I have no idea when they hope to launch in Toronto, but who doesn't love a good waitlist? The illusion of scarcity can be a powerful motivator.
Update: My position in line has improved to #229 because of all of the "referrals" generated by this post. Canoo has done a good job using their waitlist system to generate exposure and solicit early customer feedback.
My friend Eric Roseman, who lives in Los Angeles, just sent me this, knowing that I would almost certainly like the idea and want to write about it on the blog. This, is called The Passage of a Few People Through a Rather Brief Moment in Time.
It's over now. But from 2009 to earlier this year (2019), it was a collection of people who would meet every Wednesday night at 9pm at California Donuts #21 in Koreatown in order to cycle the city, see new things, and "see old things anew."
Given that each Wednesday night ride was about 20-35 miles, the group has covered a lot of ground over the last decade. Here is a cumulative map of their routes. You can also see an animated version, here.
I like the idea of traditions and doing things repeatedly, because I think that grit is an important characteristic and I believe in compounding. It's part of the reason why I write a daily blog and why I do an annual snowboarding trip.
But I also think that biking is one of the best ways to experience a city. So, yeah, Eric, you were right. I do like this.
There are, of course, many differences, including the amount of space dedicated to common areas (the community aspect). But in both cases, part of the value proposition is about affordability.
