What's in a “Lane”...?

A “Road” by any other name ...

The Oxford English Dictionary says it's “a narrow road especially in a rural area”.

In cohousing terms it's definitely a lot more!

For a start, we at K1 are certainly not in a rural area, but we do want to create a rural feel, so our lane will be “green” with a surface that is robust enough to take emergency vehicles, but permeable to grass, so that over time we create a green amenity space that our kids can feel is part of their play space.

It will be car free, definitely not what a rural lane is, but a must have in cohousing terms; an essential element to all cohousing developments across the world. It's our “social space”, where neighbours “happen” upon each other as they go about there daily business, kids can be viewed from kitchen windows, pop safely across the lane to their friends in neighbouring houses and ride their bikes without fear of cars – a great place to lean how to overcome those first wobbly rides!

North and South Terrace gardens will abut naturally onto the lane, creating a wider feel and “spillage” of plant and flowers. There will be interesting features to break up the straight lines, a place for bikes and picnics, and a wild flower mound is envisaged. It will be a one way route for vehicle access when necessary – we do need to think of fire engines – but primarily a natural space for fun and frolic!

So, “What's in our lane?”

People!

And it will smell sweet!

By Jan Chadwick