Intentional communities offer reduced living costs, enhanced social interactions, and often a significantly reduced environmental footprint.
Imagine a life where your neighbors are more than just people next door; they are your extended family, sharing resources, meals, and laughter. Welcome to intentional communities, where collective living fosters a sense of belonging and enriches quality of life. These communities are thoughtfully designed to minimize environmental footprint while maximizing communal interactions. Whether it’s pocket neighborhoods, cohousing, or eco-villages, they offer unique opportunities to live sustainably, sharing resources like cars, tools, and gardens. This approach not only reduces individual costs but also promotes a more sustainable, resilient lifestyle. In the face of climate change and social isolation, intentional communities offer a compelling, joyful alternative that combines eco-conscious living with a supportive, interconnected social network. So why wait? Embrace this opportunity to be part of a solution that benefits both you and our planet.
Examples
1Cohousing
A community planned with private homes but shared facilities for meals and socializing. Most common in urban areas.
2Eco-Villages
Rural or suburban communities committed to sustainable living, including renewable energy and organic agriculture.
3Communes
Communities where resources, including land and income, are shared, often guided by common ideologies.
4Housing Cooperatives
Housing owned and managed by residents who each have a share in the cooperative.
5Pocket Neighborhoods
Clustered groups of neighboring houses or apartments gathered around a shared open space.
6Residential Land Trusts
Non-profit corporations that hold land to provide affordable housing and maintain community control of land use.
Pros
- Sustainability: Intentional communities often emphasize eco-friendly practices such as shared resources, renewable energy, and organic gardening, significantly reducing individual carbon footprints compared to traditional housing.
- Community Engagement: These communities foster close relationships, shared responsibilities, and mutual support, countering modern tendencies toward isolation. They offer an enriching social alternative to the nuclear-family focus of suburban developments.
- Cost Efficiency: Shared resources, communal meals, and cooperative buying can decrease living expenses, making them more affordable than single-family homes in many markets.
Cons
- Decision-Making Process: Consensus-based decision-making can be time-consuming and frustrating. Disputes may take longer to resolve than in a traditional landlord-tenant relationship.
- Privacy: While communal living enhances social interaction, it may also compromise privacy more than living in detached homes or apartments.
- Availability: Despite growing interest, intentional communities are not as widespread as traditional housing options, which could limit relocation flexibility.
Costs
1Buying New Construction Houses
Generally, new constructions in intentional communities may range from $200,000 to over $1 million. The price premium over standard practice, if any, primarily depends on the location and amenities. Sustainable designs and shared facilities may elevate prices slightly, but shared resources and utilities may offset these costs in the long run.
2Buying an Existing House
Prices can range widely from $100,000 to $700,000, again largely dependent on location and the specific community. The premium over standard housing may be minimal or even negative in some cases, especially where community members have invested sweat equity in maintaining the property or there’s a higher emphasis on affordability.
Tips for Renters
Looking for a Rental:
1Research Community Values
Ensure the community’s principles align with your own. Each intentional community can have different focuses, from sustainability to social justice.
2Understand Shared Responsibilities
These can range from communal meals to maintenance duties. Make sure you’re comfortable with these commitments.
3Consider Privacy
Intentional communities often foster close relationships. Assess if the balance between community engagement and personal privacy suits your lifestyle.
Tips for Designers & Builders
For the Design Team:
1Prioritize Communal Spaces
Incorporate generous, flexible communal areas into your design. These spaces foster interaction and are the heart of intentional communities. They can include shared kitchens, gardens, play areas, and meeting spaces.
2Embrace Sustainability
Integrate sustainable design principles at every stage. Consider energy-efficient building materials, renewable energy sources, and water conservation measures. Aim for a low-impact design that harmonizes with the local ecology.
3Plan for Privacy
While communal living is key, remember that residents also need private spaces. Design individual homes to provide privacy and personal space, which can help prevent conflicts within the community.
For the Builder:
1Understand the Community Vision
Engage with the future residents and understand their collective vision for the community. Building an intentional community is about more than construction—it’s about facilitating a certain lifestyle.
2Commit to Quality
Because the homes will be densely packed and resources are shared, building defects can have larger ripple effects than in traditional neighborhoods. Commit to high-quality construction to prevent future issues.
3Implement Sustainable Practices
Align your building practices with the community’s sustainable ethos. This can involve recycling construction waste, minimizing site disturbance, and sourcing local, sustainable materials. Your actions can help set the standard for the community’s sustainable lifestyle.
1Prioritize Communal Spaces
Incorporate generous, flexible communal areas into your design. These spaces foster interaction and are the heart of intentional communities. They can include shared kitchens, gardens, play areas, and meeting spaces.
1Understand the Community Vision
Engage with the future residents and understand their collective vision for the community. Building an intentional community is about more than construction—it’s about facilitating a certain lifestyle.
2Embrace Sustainability
Integrate sustainable design principles at every stage. Consider energy-efficient building materials, renewable energy sources, and water conservation measures. Aim for a low-impact design that harmonizes with the local ecology.
2Commit to Quality
Because the homes will be densely packed and resources are shared, building defects can have larger ripple effects than in traditional neighborhoods. Commit to high-quality construction to prevent future issues.
3Plan for Privacy
While communal living is key, remember that residents also need private spaces. Design individual homes to provide privacy and personal space, which can help prevent conflicts within the community.
3Implement Sustainable Practices
Align your building practices with the community’s sustainable ethos. This can involve recycling construction waste, minimizing site disturbance, and sourcing local, sustainable materials. Your actions can help set the standard for the community’s sustainable lifestyle.
Resources
Books:
“Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities” by Charles Durrett, Kathryn McCamant.
“Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World” by Ross Chapin, Sarah Susanka.
Websites:
Foundation for Intentional Community (https://www.ic.org)
- Global Ecovillage Network (https://ecovillage.org)
- Ross Chapin – Pocket Neighborhoods (https://rosschapin.com/projects/pocket-neighborhoods/)
- This website offers resources, articles, and forums related to cohousing communities (https://cohousing.com/)
