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Define EcoVillage….

 
pollinator
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What is the definition of an EcoVillage, and how is it different from a transition town? Or intentional community?

In my mind, Intentional Community is when many people come together to live on the same property, so therefore Village Homes in Davis, CA would not be an Intentional Community because it is more of a neighborhood consisting of several separate properties and no unifying network or purpose. Agree or disagree? Would it qualify as an EcoVillage or Transition Town?

Obviously I need some help differentiating these concepts. Can anyone point me to some good resources to help get my terminology straight?

 
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Diana Leafe Christian defines ecovillages in her part 2 podcast 307 with Paul. Convenient!

My understanding of the three terms is VERY limited, but I view it like this:
--cohousing - shared property and/or other shared resources; not necessarily shared living space, and not necessarily eco
--intentional community - shared living space and shared property/resources/etc.; an intention to fully experience community; also not necessarily eco
--ecovillage - an intentional community with an underpinning of an eco or sustainability focus/ethic.

I'm very much hoping someone who knows more in this space will make corrections to these statements.

 
Jocelyn Campbell
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Oh, and Transition Town groups are community groups based on the Transition Handbook by Rob Hopkins, though I've heard his Transition Companion is even better. (Those are affiliate links.) Transition Town ideas are based in permaculture.

Transition groups might get involved with community property, or start some kind of community energy or business coop, though in my experience, until or unless there is a tangible project, they are more social and education oriented than anything else. The iterations are as varied as the people organizing them.

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A friend and I have been discussing an idea floating around our heads about creating a Sepp Holzer inspired landscape and then utilize the gifts of that adventure into a retirement/school for any age community. Does that work as a definition of an ecovillage?
 
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