Moving Through Times of Transition
Posted on May 23, 2016 byWhat is it that keeps a community’s identity consistent over time? Is it the people? The place? The culture? Here at Foster Village in Portland, OR, we’ve had around a 50% turnover rate over the past year. Some long-term residents have moved on to live in rural communities. Some recent arrivals decided that the level… Read More
SimpleREV Brings Minimalism and Intentional Living to the Twin Cities
Posted on May 19, 2016 byIn October 2014, I attended the first annual SimpleREV conference in Minneapolis, MN. For two days, around 50 or so attendees shared stories about downsizing, living life with less “stuff,” building tiny houses, and more. For some, it was the first time they’d been around other people pursuing a less consumer-driven lifestyle, and the experience… Read More
Ecovillages around the World, #171 Contents
Posted on May 18, 2016 byIn our Summer issue, the Global Ecovillage Network, Gaia Trust, and the FIC partner to offer stories of pioneering efforts worldwide by communities working to incorporate the four dimensions of sustainability: social, ecological, economic, and worldview. We explore local solutions to global problems, creating carbon-negative communities, restoring our relationships to one another and the land, learning from indigenous groups, ecovillage strategies in areas of crisis, and more.
How These Collaborative Networks Foster Inter-Community Connection
Posted on May 16, 2016 byAs interest in community living grows, it’s important that we make it easy and accessible for people to get involved with their local co-ops and coliving spaces. For many people, community dinners, art and music nights, and overnight stays are the ideal way to explore whether coliving is right for them. Sometimes, it can be… Read More
Midwest Sustainable Communities Conference July 2-4 at Dancing Rabbit
Posted on May 12, 2016 by2 Comments
UPDATE from the organizers: “This year’s conference has unfortunately been cancelled. We are postponing until 2017 to have more prep time and invite even more speakers and guests. Stay tuned!” **** Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage has announced the dates and workshop lineup for the Midwest Sustainable Communities Conference, which will take place in Rutledge, MO, from July… Read More
Can Platform Cooperatives Empower Everyday Workers?
Posted on May 9, 2016 byLast week, I wrote about OuiShare, a European organization that’s spearheading the push for a more equitable sharing economy. One of the concepts on the agenda at this year’s OuiShare Fest is “platform cooperativism” — the idea that worker-owned cooperatives could replace corporate-owned networks and apps. Last November, Trebor Scholz and Nathan Schneider hosted the… Read More
OuiShare Pushes for A Fairer Sharing Economy
Posted on May 5, 2016 byFor years, OuiShare has been one of the leading voices on the sharing economy in Europe, and has helped put the concept of collaborative consumption and peer-to-peer economies on the map. This year, it’s hosting a series of events, including the annual OuiShare Fest in Paris, and additional gatherings in Lille, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro,… Read More
Let’s Count The Ways of Economics
Posted on May 4, 2016 byCommunity Bookstore Feature Best of Communities ― The Cream of Our Crop Cooperative Economics and Creating Community Where You Are by Kim Kanney, Community Bookstore Manager Best of Communities Volume XIII Cooperative Economics and Creating Community Where You Are A special selection of articles from Communities: Life in Cooperative Culture $10 Digital, $15 Print The Foundation… Read More
The Power of Conflict
Posted on May 3, 2016 byThe FIC is very excited to announce a collaboration with Transition US on a teleseminar titled, The Power of Conflict for Building Connection and Community, Thursday, May 19th, at 11am PDT. There’s no cost to participate. We’ve put together an amazing panel of three long-term communards who are also experienced organizers and activists in other… Read More
European Projects Explore Cohousing for LGBT Elders
Posted on May 2, 2016 byOver the past year, a U.K. group called Tonic Housing has been exploring ways to offer safe, affordable housing to older members of the LGBT community. Supported by several charitable foundations, Tonic hopes to build a housing complex called Tonic Centre in or near London: “There is currently no LGBT-specific housing for older people in the… Read More
Queer, Person of Color, or Low-Income; Is Cohousing Possible for Me?
Posted on May 1, 2016 bySome creative solutions are starting to counteract cohousing’s demographic homogeneity, but significant obstacles remain.
NextGEN Hosts The Youth Ecovillage Summit in Quebec June 9-12
Posted on April 28, 2016 byNextGEN North America has opened registration for the third annual Youth Ecovillage Summit, which will take place in Quebec, Canada from June 9-12, 2016. The event will be hosted at La Cite Ecologique, an ecovillage two hours away from Montreal and Quebec City. According to NextGEN: “Over 30 years ago, La Cité Ecologique began as a… Read More
Job Openings at the New Economy Coalition (Plus Event Registration for Common Bound)
Posted on April 21, 2016 byOne of the great things about the growing interest in intentional living is how easily groups like FIC can connect and collaborate with related organizations. From neurodiverse cohousing networks to online permaculture classes, there are hundreds of groups out there with values that overlap with our own. This week, we bring you updates from the… Read More
Portland’s Village Building Convergence Returns June 3-12
Posted on April 21, 2016 byFor 16 years, the City Repair Project has been gathering annually for the Village Building Convergence, a 10-day event focusing on permaculture and placemaking in Portland, OR. Even residents who haven’t heard of the event have experienced its impact: its projects include “intersection repairs” that have created some of Portland’s most colorful and liveliest crossroads;… Read More
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.
Three Tucson Communities Open Their Doors For National Cohousing Day
Posted on April 18, 2016 byNational Cohousing Open House Day is coming up in just over a week, and dozens of communities will be welcoming guests for tours and other free activities. You can check out the map at Cohousing.org to find a community near you. Please RSVP to the Facebook event and invite your friends so we can get… Read More
Millennials Are Embracing Cohousing – Of A Different Kind
Posted on April 14, 2016 byIt may have been only a matter of time before the millennial generation turned its attention to cohousing. As car and home ownership among young people has declined, and as the nuclear family is no longer the go-to living arrangement, it makes sense that college grads would look for ways share resources and living spaces… Read More
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.
The Write A House Program Builds Artistic Community in Detroit
Posted on April 7, 2016 byLaunched in 2012, the Write a House program in Detroit has been creating a writers’ residency like no other. After buying up vacant homes, the organization renovates them – with the help of youths in vocational training – and invites a writer to move in. After two years of residency, the writer is given the… Read More
Why Cohousing?
Posted on April 5, 2016 byCommunity Bookstore Feature Best of Communities ― The Cream of Our Crop Cohousing by Kim Kanney, Community Bookstore Manager Best of Communities Volume XII Cohousing A special selection of articles from Communities: Life in Cooperative Culture $10 Digital, $15 Print The Foundation for Intentional Community is pleased to offer you the cream of our crop―the very… Read More
Lightning in A Bottle Shares 2016 Theme and Activities
Posted on April 4, 2016 byLightning in a Bottle, the annual arts, music, and yoga festival in Southern California, announced its 2016 theme and workshop leaders. According to Grateful Web, “The Village’s 2016 theme, Tree of Life, will focus on re-integrating humanity into right relationship with our ecosystem…. The Village will give attendees a unique opportunity to learn by doing,… Read More
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.
Former Residents Call on Black Bear Ranch to Unsettle The Klamath River
Posted on March 30, 2016 byEight years ago, when I moved out to the West Coast for the first time, I wasn’t yet aware of the intentional community movement. I’d always imagined living collectively, but it wasn’t until I learned about Black Bear Ranch – through a documentary called “Commune” – that I realized communities like it actually existed. In… Read More
A Permaculture Card Game Is Raising Funds on Kickstarter
Posted on March 28, 2016 byFood Forest, a card game designed to teach kids about permaculture, is raising funds on Kickstarter. As of this writing, it’s two-thirds of the way toward its $10,000 goal and has around 10 days left to go. The game is developed and designed by Karl Treen, who came up with the idea while teaching gardening… Read More
Free Online Permaculture Class Starts May 2!
Posted on March 25, 2016 byInterested in learning more about permaculture but don’t have any hands-on experience? Have friends or family who want to know what it is you do on your eco-village or urban farm? Oregon State University is offering a free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) called Intro to Permaculture, running from May 2 through May 27. It’s… Read More
Life in an urban eco-village
Posted on March 23, 2016 byHi, I’m Saul, the new Social Media Manager here at FIC. I’m excited to join the team from my home at Foster Village, an urban eco-community in Southeast Portland, OR! If you have any feedback or suggestions for a future blog post, you can reach me via e-mail or on Twitter. Living in an urban… Read More
Finding a Healthy, Happy Cohousing Community that Fits Your Values
Posted on March 21, 2016 by1 Comment
A cohouser offers resources and tips on how to find your community.
Rediscovering Community: A family’s journey back to appreciating Home
Posted on March 11, 2016 by1 Comment
An active search for a new community allows one family to explore core questions.
Aging Better Together
Posted on March 5, 2016 byOne of the great tragedies of our hyper-individualized society is the separation of the generations. There is so much love and wisdom lost, and so much needless suffering endured as a result of the isolation between elders, single adults, and children. This separation has been enacted so effectively that it is now seen as preferential… Read More
Like living in a zoo
Posted on March 3, 2016 byCommunities are like exotic animals. They may be extraordinary, but the fascination comes more from the novelty, the unfamiliarity, and the association with an untamed land. Communities are used to having lots of guests, and also often give regular or irregular tours to the curious public. It’s easy for members to sometimes feel like they’re… Read More
