Medical researchers and self-help writers point to how a purposeful life helping others can lead to greater happiness and longevity.

They typically focus on “how” to live a more purposeful life.  But they often overlook “where” to live a more purposeful life.  The “where” can also provide meaning in our lives.
 
An excellent recent article that focuses on the “where” is by David Brooks in the Atlantic, called The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake. Brooks describes how subdivisions and housing in the U.S. have caused us to become too separated from one another. We no longer have easy access to friends, family, or a support structure as was the case 100 years ago or currently in other parts of the world. This separation and isolation have, of course, intensified in these COVID times.

Brooks mentions cohousing as an alternative to isolated nuclear families. In cohousing, everyone owns their private homes but intentionally plan to