Inhabiting in the digital era. Collaborative models and their response in times of crisis

Abstract

The etymological origin of the word inhabit comes from the Latin habitare, frequentative of habere, “to have or possess repeatedly” and its meaning indicates the “habit” of staying in a place. From the beginning of the first industrial revolutions, technology increased the movements of individuals, reducing the permanence in space. These new circumstances have affected interpersonal relationships and the concept of home. In this new era, the ubiquity afforded by the digitization of belongings and processes, allows previously unimaginable activities to be carried out from the home, the purchase of all kinds of products, telecommuting, providing or receiving teaching, and also the possibility of doing so from anywhere else in the world. As a result of this, new domestic spaces emerge, the collaborative models Cohousing and Coliving, which appear to respond to new social profiles, such as the inhabitant and the digital nomad. The global mobility limitation, produced by the COVID-19, has evidenced the true sustainability of these new collaborative models. Given this reality, it is necessary to review it in support of the quality of life of its users, which is linked to reconnection with the environment and the consolidation of its community.