This has all been said before, but it seems that it would be helpful to some to say it a bit more clearly:
No drugs (inlcuding pot) and no tobacco: I was at the university a few weeks ago and noticed signs everywhere that said "drug and tobacco free campus". I like that. I am a person that doesn't use drugs or tobacco. I know most people are into it. Probably something like 98% of the american population. I know that there have been people who have come here for a workshop and it was a sacrifice to them for that period of time. There have been hundreds of people that would have come here, but didn't because of this restriction. They appear to still be leading happy lives. And there are people that have expressed their opinion that I should change my position, and several other positions. The thing is I don't need millions of people to live here - just a few dozen. I like the idea that all of the people here are in the same boat as me: just not interested in that stuff. It doesn't matter about the legality of hemp or pot or whatever. I'm just trying to build something with people that aren't interested in that stuff.
evil dictator: Most communities use consensus - which sounds awesome, but a lot of people seem to get really burned out on it. And now there is sociocracy and holocracy that folks can try. The "dictator" model is actually quite common. A farmer could carve off an acre and say "for $500 per year, you can plant a garden there - that sounds fine." And everything you do is within the farmer's comfort zone, or the deal is off. Similar to renting a house or renting an apartment. Permaculture systems are perennial - so you want to put in at least five or ten years. Maybe even 20 years and beyond. So you don't want the deal to end. So you need some predictability. That is what the "200 podcast" requirement is about. By listening to the 200 podcasts you can decide what might end the deal. Is it worth the risk? Is there risk? Hopefully, the only people that come will have values extremely well aligned with what is in the podcasts.
monies: the idea is to end up with a bike/ped community that is divided into four sections. Optimally, people will not want to leave property more than a few times per year. Maybe only one person in ten actually owns a car. To pull this off, I would think that nearly everybody would start with enough to make it for the first couple of years, and then they would develop an income stream that fits this path.
Some possibilities. A few people have tried to show up with not even 25 cents to their name - that is BOLD! I won't stop them, but that's gonna take some serious gumption to pull off.
Here is a list of a few income ideas - I'm sure there are a hundred more things to add to that list. People have asked if they can come and do commuter jobs and we have always said "no - that is not what this project is about."
To try to paint a picture, here are some other threads:
symboo village - a generic village format that might be duplicated in other places. But a rough draft for what we are attempting here.
the story of gert - one possible permaculture end game
reduce your petroleum footprint with homesteading, community and gardening
reduce your carbon footprint with homesteading, community and gardening
nearly all of our global problems can be solved with homesteading and permaculture
the podcasts
the big list of ways to live and visit wheaton labs
gardening gardeners encourages gardeners gardening
my first writing about husp and rehusp (2011) a bit more in 2013
the four sections
independent thought / consensus / dictator hybrid
I suspect that 99.9999% of the people of the world will find this style of community unacceptable. I think those people will make the right choice - and not come. This is for the very rare person that thinks that all of this stuff sounds perfect, and that they would gladly live this way for 20 years or more.