Eco-Villages:
Some 420 Exists Around the World
Eco-villages
are essentially designed communities intending to be socially,
economically and ecologically sustainable. Environmentalist
Joan Bokaer developed the vision for the first eco-village,
which would eventually be built on the outskirts of Ithaca,
New York, while on a continent-wide walk for sustainability
across the United States in 1990. In Context magazine publisher
Robert Gilman helped refine the concept through his research,
writing and speaking on the topic. In 1996, the first residents
moved into the EcoVillage at Ithaca, and a movement was
born. According to the nonprofit Global Ecovillage Network,
some 420 eco-villages exist in both urban and rural settings
around the world today.
The
defining characteristics of an eco-village, according to
Robert Gilman’s seminal 1991 article, “The
Eco-Village Challenge,” include “human-scale,
healthy and sustainable development, full-featured settlement,
and the harmless integration of human activities into the
natural world.” Gilman also said that eco-villages
should limit their populations to 150 individuals, which
is the maximum size for any working social network according
to the teachings of sociology and anthropology.
While
the term eco-village did not come into common usage until
the 1990s, the concept may in fact be older. Arcosanti,
a self-described “experimental town” in the
high desert of Arizona, 70 miles north of Phoenix, has
been under construction since 1970 and eventually will
be the home of some 5,000 forward-thinking residents. In
keeping with the concept of clustered development so as
to maximize open space and the efficient use of resources,
the large, compact structures and large-scale solar greenhouses
of Arcosanti occupy a small footprint—only 25 acres—within
the community’s 4,000-acre “land preserve.”
Italian
architect Paolo Soleri designed Arcosanti according to
his concept of “arcology” (architecture + ecology),
whereby, in his words, “the built and the living
interact as organs would in a highly evolved being.” Underpinning
the concept is that “many systems work together,
with efficient circulation of people and resources, multi-use
buildings, and solar orientation for lighting, heating
and cooling.”
Those
interested in learning more can attend a four-week workshop
at Arcosanti to study building techniques and arcological
philosophy, while getting a chance to contribute to the
city’s ongoing construction. To date, some 5,000
participants have all had a hand in the construction of
Arcosanti.
Some
other “intentional communities” designed with
sustainability in mind around North America include Cobb
Hill in Vermont, Vegan in Hawaii, Dancing Rabbit in Missouri,
Maitreya in Oregon, Dreamtime in Wisconsin, Paz in Texas,
Earthaven in North Carolina, Prairie’s Edge in Manitoba
and Kakwa in British Columbia. For information on these
and other eco-villages, the Ecovillage Network of the Americas
as well as the Global Ecovillage Network offer extensive
resources for free online.
Article
from EarthTalk: Networking® magazine thanks EarthTalk
for their
informative, syndicated column made available to our readers. If you have an
environmental question, send it to Earthtalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine,
P.O.
Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/ or
email:earthtalk@magazine.com. Read
past columns at www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php
