Starting a Community
Affordable, Developer-Driven Ecovillages: Meeting an Unmet Need
Posted on April 21, 2017 by1 Comment
A replicable ecovillage model is our best hope for achieving essential, global-scale changes.
Cloughjordan Ecovillage: Modeling the Transition to a Low-Carbon Society
Posted on August 1, 2016 byIrish ecovillagers achieve the smallest ecological footprints recorded in their country.
Leaps of Faith
Posted on April 21, 2016 by2 Comments
Two families leave a thriving cohousing community to follow their shared dreams as a tight-knit intergenerational group.
Common Fire’s Top Ten Hard-Earned Tips for Community Success
Posted on April 11, 2016 by1 Comment
The sometimes triumphant, sometimes traumatic experiences of the three Common Fire communities yield wisdom relevant to anyone working to create a community.
Off-Grid, and In Community: ’Tis Easier to Find than to Found
Posted on April 1, 2016 by1 Comment
The co-director of Maitreya Mountain Village suggests others not follow his example.
Words of Experience: Starting a Community
Posted on March 1, 2016 by1 Comment
A founder shares a well-learned lesson: “It is a LOT of work to start an intentional community. A LOT.”
The New Communities Directory: A Star Chart for Seekers and Founders
Posted on February 25, 2016 by4 Comments
Whether you’re starting a community or looking to join one, the new Communities Directory is an essential resource.
Finding or Starting a Community, #170 Contents
Posted on February 22, 2016 byThose seeking an intentional community are often faced with a choice: find it, or found it? Whether looking to join an existing community or working to start a new one, aspiring communitarians can glean invaluable lessons from the experiences of other seekers and pioneers. Our Spring issue is full of success stories, cautionary tales, adventures, reflections, advice, and resources for anyone interested in Finding or Starting a Community.
Getting to Community and Life after Community: Collectivism vs. Individuality
Posted on January 1, 2016 by1 Comment
Togetherness and solitude, action and reflection—our lives give us times for each.
An Evolving Movement
Posted on December 21, 2015 by1 Comment
The FIC’s new Executive Director reflects on his and the organization’s converging paths.
Three Kinds of Community—Three Kinds of Experience and Learning
Posted on December 1, 2015 byWhether with refugees, in the inner city, or in intentional groups, community holds life-long lessons.
Land Use Regulations, Urban Planners, and Intentional Communities
Posted on October 11, 2015 by1 Comment
A century since the United States’ first citywide zoning ordinance, community founders can find support in unexpected places when navigating land use laws.
My Struggle to Legalize Sustainable Living
Posted on October 1, 2015 by8 Comments
After nearly three decades of activity, a pioneering eco-community collapses under the weight of legal attacks by a small group of neighbors.
It Takes All Kinds to Raise a Village
Posted on September 21, 2015 byAfter an engaged local citizenry creates cultural shifts, a city endorses rather than prosecutes code-bending strategies that promote resilient community.
My Intentional Community and the Law
Posted on September 11, 2015 byBreitenbush has a long history of dealing with legalities and illegalities, from installing a volcano as their “boiler” and blocking old-growth logging to successfully petitioning for a zoning variance.
Zoning Nightmare: Hartford’s Scarborough Street House
Posted on September 1, 2015 byAn unconventional family fights to stay in their collective house in the face of antiquated local ordinances which suppress community living.
Free Land on a Tropical Island!?
Posted on March 6, 2015 by6 Comments
Free land on a tropical island!? Pitcairn, a small remote paradise-like island in the South Pacific is running out of people. They are giving land for free to people who… Read More
From Conversation to Community: How a Bunch of Mates Bought Some Land Together
Posted on October 21, 2014 by“Wouldn’t it be great to buy a block of land together in the bush?” Dinner party conversations yield unexpected fruit.
Vision, Money, and Sustainability: Bringing in Renters while Building the Dream
Posted on July 29, 2014 by2 Comments
In the quest for sustainability, long-term goals can yield to short-term needs and opportunities, fertilizing new growth in unpredictable ways.
Sharing Spaces, Sharing Values: Entrepreneurship at Dragon’s Nest Cooperative Homestead
Posted on July 18, 2014 by“Founder’s joy” can wear off very quickly in the chaos of financial instability and unclear agreements.
The Peace Bridge
Posted on September 14, 2013 byTamarack Institute and FIC invite all of us to share our conversations about community.
Elders in Community
Posted on September 14, 2013 byTwo community founders offer ongoing lessons and inspiration.
Yes, Wealthy People Want to Live in Community in Sustainable Ways Too!
Posted on June 7, 2013 by1 Comment
The facilitator of a telephone support group offers 14 suggestions from current or aspiring communitarians with significant financial resources.
An Interview with Ira Wallace
Posted on March 7, 2013 byA community pioneer and activist shares her stories.
Achieving Affordability with Cohousing
Posted on March 7, 2013 by6 Comments
Cohousing is intrinsically an affordable model; here’s why and how.
Creating a Community of Homesteaders
Posted on March 7, 2013 byA land trust with leaseholds keeps members’ costs down while allowing a combination of autonomy and connection.
Affordability: Angst and Angels
Posted on March 7, 2013 by2 Comments
Kara Huntermoon of Heart-Culture Farm shares her community’s affordability strategies.
New Beginnings at Oakleigh Meadow Cohousing
Posted on December 7, 2012 byA forming cohousing group experiences its share of bumps, but comes together to move forward.
My Advice to Others Planning to Start an Ecovillage
Posted on September 7, 2012 by4 Comments
An ecovillage founder offers 10 guidelines for success, including “Start with people.”
Living the Questions
Posted on September 7, 2012 byBelfast Cohousing & Ecovillage grapples with obstacles to create a visionary housing project in rural Maine.
