Keep it working
Utilities, routine maintenance and day-to-day coordination keep the place usable.
All visual guidesBUILT BY DAO / 01
Community ownership
A neighborhood can build its own future.
People, places and resources come together around something worth owning together.
Follow the picture
Explore a connected block
More useful together.
Select a numbered place to see how homes, work and everyday community life support one another.
01 / Homes
A place to put down roots.
Homes give a neighborhood its everyday life. Residents need clear terms for their space, a way to raise maintenance needs and a shared understanding of how the property is cared for.
Connected to: shared spaces, local services and long-term upkeep.
1Homes2Workshop3Courtyard4Local businesses
The model at a glance
Bring the pieces together.
Keep the purpose shared.
A useful place starts with more than money. It starts with people who have a reason to build it.
People
Skills, local knowledge
and a shared purpose.
Places
A building, a block
or a space with potential.
Resources
Tools, materials,
partnerships and funding.
One shared projectBuild a place people can use.
Build a place people can use.
Define how they take part.
A clear plan. An ownership structure. Agreements that set out membership, responsibilities and decision-making.
Homes
Somewhere to put down roots.
Useful work
Somewhere to make and grow.
Shared spaces
Somewhere to come together.
Care for it. Make decisions. Keep building.
Maintenance, reserves and future projects are part of the long-term plan.
The point
The value is in what
people can keep using.
01
A place that lasts.
Ownership and upkeep belong in the same conversation from the start.
02
A voice in its future.
The project’s governance sets how members participate in decisions.
03
More capacity nearby.
Skills, relationships and shared resources support the next piece of work.
What participation looks like
A place to use.
A voice to exercise.
An agreement to build on.
A shared project works when people can understand how each part fits. Start with three practical questions.
01
Use
How do I take part in the place?
A home, a booked workspace or access to shared facilities comes with its own terms. Those terms cover access, payments, responsibilities and care.
Example: an occupancy or workspace agreement.02
Voice
How do we make decisions?
A proposal makes a choice visible. The relevant governance process sets who participates, how a decision is approved and who carries it out.
Example: a proposal to improve the courtyard.03
Ownership
What rights do the documents give me?
The project’s governing and ownership documents define membership and ownership rights. Keep those documents connected to the records of how people participate.
Example: membership terms and project-specific ownership documents.Build care into the model
Opening day is the beginning.
A building keeps serving people when someone owns the work of looking after it. Plan for daily operations, future repairs and the next useful improvement.
A place worth
keepingUse → care → improve → use
keepingUse → care → improve → use
Prepare for repairs
Reserves and maintenance planning make future needs part of today’s decisions.
Choose what comes next
Use the project’s budget and approval process to prioritize improvements and future work.
A shared decision in practice
- ProposeAdd shade to the courtyard.
- Work it throughCompare designs, costs and upkeep.
- Decide & deliverFollow the approval process, assign the work and report the result.
Go one level deeper.
What is a housing cooperative? How BBD connects the piecesBuilt by people. Built to last.
There is a place for you in the picture.
Bring your skills, your ideas, your neighborhood. Find your place in what comes next.