Host dinners together at one anothers current residences and you quickly learn both the advantages of community dinners and many concerns. Another obvious resource are restaurants. Don't be shy about measuring spaces. If you designate spaces for a kids room, library, office, small meeting room or other uses try and use actual space dimensions that you can explore. Go to a local public library, park, environmental learning center or best yet, another community and sit in and feel the space.
Groups often make decisions on paper without a clear idea of what that space really means.
Most cohousing groups plan a place for the kids. The placement of this room is very important. Too close to the dining and the kids noise will effect the dining ambiance, too far away, and the parents of small kids will be concerned. The happy medium is to be able to hear the screams but not the giggles. Nyland and others insulate their kids rooms behind indoor windows so parents can see in, but the noise is significantly muffled.