“A group of people who have chosen to live together with a common purpose, working cooperatively to create a lifestyle that reflects their shared core values,” is one way the non-profit Fellowship for Intentional Community describes it.  …

What most communities have in common is idealism: they’re founded on a vision of living a better way, whether community members literally live together in shared houses, or live near each other as neighbors.  A community’s ideals usually arise from something its members see as lacking or missing in the wider culture.

All of the above taken from Creating a Life Together by Diana Leafe Christian, page xvi).

 

A small group (17-60) of unrelated people who chose to come together to share the rhythm of daily life In the pursuit of a noble aim Who, Without it, life loses it’s tang Quote from Bill Thomas, M.D. author of What are Old People For?

 

 

SUSTAINABILITY is an attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. It relates to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society, as well as the non-human environment. It is intended to be a means of configuring civilization and human activity so that society, its members and its economies are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and planning and acting for the ability to maintain these ideals in a very long term. Sustainability affects every level of organization, from the local neighborhood to the entire planet. (from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT While many definitions of the term have been introduced over the years, the most commonly cited definition comes from the report Our Common Future, known as the Brundtland Report, which states that sustainable development is development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.  Sustainable development does not focus solely on environmental issues. More broadly, sustainable development policies encompass three general policy areas: economic, environmental and social. In support of this, several United Nations texts, most recently the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, refer to the "interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars" of sustainable development as economic development, social development, and environmental protection.

GREEN DEVELOPMENT is generally differentiated from Sustainable development in that Green development prioritizes environmental sustainability over economic and cultural sustainability. Green development is not necessarily practical in all applications, so sustainable development provides a context in which to improve overall sustainability when cutting edge Green development is unattainable. For example, a cutting edge treatment plant with extremely high maintenance costs may not be sustainable in regions of the world with less financial resources. An ideal plant that is shut down due to bankruptcy is obviously less sustainable than one that is maintainable by the indigenous community, even if it is somewhat less effective from an environmental standpoint.  (from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)

PERMACULTURE  A design system for creating a sustainable way of living: it integrates archecture, ecology, green economics and social systems, landscape , and organic agroforestry.  It focuses on systems thinking – the toal of permaculture is to find a harmony between all the aspects mentioned, so that the procuct is greater than the sum of its parts. (from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)

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CoHousing Communities are small neighborhoods of usually 10 to 40 households which are managed by the residents themselves, and which have usually been developed and designed by them as well (although increasingly cohousers partner with outside developers).  Cohousers own their own relatively small housing units and share ownership of the whole property and their large community building (with kitchen, dining room/meeting space, and usually a children’s play area, laundry facilities, and guest rooms).  Cohousing residents conduct their community business through consensus-based meetings, and enjoy optional shared meals together three or four nights a week.  (Creating a Life Together by Diana Leafe Christian, page xvii).

“What is CoHousing?  CoHousing communities respond to contemporary needs by combining the autonomy of private dwellings with the advantages of community living. Initially pioneered in Denmark over 20 years ago, the CoHousing concept reestablishes many of the advantages of traditional neighborhoods and villages within the context of late twentieth-century life.

Each household has a private residence, self-sufficient with its own kitchen. The private dwellings are clustered around pedestrian commons with a central common house. Shared activities such as meals, gardening and childcare enhance the social connections among residents and often save time and money. (Westwood CoHousing www.westwoodcohousing.com)

“CoHousing is a type of collaborative housing that attempts to combine autonomy of private dwellings with neighborhood living, and generally has these qualities.

• Resident Management.  Residents make decisions of common concern using a group process at community meetings.
• Intentional Neighborhood Design.  The physical design facilitates social interaction to encourage community.
• Private Dwellings.  Each dwelling contains a kitchen, living-dining room, den, one or two bedrooms and bathroom.
• Common Facilities.  A common house, designed to supplement the private living areas, includes a common kitchen, large dining area and office.
• No Common Economy.  Each household accepts responsibility for the monthly fee and living expenses.”  (Brochure.  ElderSpirit Community, Abingdon, VA)

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