Bringing the “Aldeia” to the City: How Colivings Can Rebuild Urban Belonging

In cities designed for speed, efficiency, and independence, loneliness has become a hidden epidemic. But the solution might not be a new app or algorithm—it might be something much older: the aldeia.

In Portuguese, village means aldeia. And I grew up in one—a small rural place where half the population is my family 😊. Doors were always open. Meals were shared without needing to ask. People showed up for each other simply because that’s what people do.

Now, years later, after a life as digital nomad, I live in a very different setting. I run a coliving space in the city called Caminho Coliving—a home for digital nomads and expats exploring new places while searching for something deeper than just fast Wi-Fi and trendy cafés. What many of us are truly looking for is connection—to people, to purpose, to a place.

More than just shared kitchens or communal workspaces, what we’re building at Caminho is a modern-day aldeia. And it’s not always easy. But it’s real.

The Art of Community: A Roadmap for Belonging

Reading Charles Vogl’s The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging gave me a framework to understand what I was experiencing firsthand. Vogl explains that community isn’t about liking the same music or having similar jobs—it’s about being seen, being safe, and being part of something bigger.

These principles show up in our coliving in powerful and practical ways:

1. Boundary – The coliving space is a boundary. It sets the tone for who enters, and invites commitment to something beyond just cohabitation.

2. Initiation – At Caminho, every new resident is welcomed with intention—through shared dinners, storytelling circles, or moments of quiet presence. These rituals mark the beginning of belonging.

3. Rituals – Weekly meals, spontaneous beach walks, deep conversations on the terrace—these rhythms create memory and meaning.

4. Temple – Whether it’s our living room at night, a Sunday reflection session, or the unspoken “sacred time” of morning coffee, these moments become our temple—spaces for care and connection. Who knows me is aware of how sacred can be a morning coffee

5. Stories – In a home filled with people from around the world, stories flow. From career shifts to heartbreaks to big dreams, our stories form the emotional infrastructure of the community.

6. Symbols – A shared photo wall, our Caminho playlist, little inside jokes—these are the symbols that mark us as “us.”

7. Inner Rings – True community allows intimacy to form naturally. Some residents bond over work, others over movement, music, or philosophy. The key is to allow these circles to grow without excluding others.

   
   

Real Community: Beautiful, Messy, Worth It

Living in community is not all smiles and sunsets. It's challenging, and often emotional. It brings up conflict, forces us to face our habits, our wounds, our need to control or to disappear.

You share a fridge. You navigate boundaries. You learn to express your needs—and to listen when others do the same.

And yet, this is where the magic lives.

Because in a world pushing us toward isolation and individualism, community pulls us toward humanity. It offers depth. It offers belonging. It brings the village to the city.

At our upcoming event, we’ll explore how intentional colivings—like Caminho—can be part of the solution. We’ll dive into the tools, practices, and stories that help us remember what it means to live with each other, not just next to each other.

So whether you're a digital nomad, an expat, a seeker, or simply someone craving more meaning in urban life, this is your invitation.

Come walk the path with us.

Because the aldeia isn’t gone—it’s just waiting to be rebuilt, one home, one ritual, one connection at a time