Ecovillages are intended to be socially, economically and ecologically sustainable intentional communities. Most aim for a population of 50-150 individuals because this size is considered to be the maximum social network according to findings from sociology and anthropology (Hill & Dunbar, 2002). Larger ecovillages of up to 2,000 individuals may, however, exist as networks of smaller "ecomunicipalities" or subcommunities to create an ecovillage model that allows for social networks within a broader foundation of support. Sustainability is an attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. ... ... A social network is a social structure made of nodes which are generally individuals or organizations. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Anthropology is the study of the anatomical and mental composition of humanity through the examination of historical and present geographical distribution, cultural history, acculturation, cultural relationships, and racial classifications. ...

Ecovillage members are united by shared ecological, social or spiritual values (see Intentional community). An ecovillage is often composed of people who have chosen an alternative to centralized power, water and sewage systems. Many see the breakdown of traditional forms of community, wasteful consumerist lifestyles, the destruction of natural habitat, urban sprawl, factory farming, and over-reliance on fossil fuels, as trends that must be changed to avert ecological disaster. They see small-scale communities with minimal ecological impact as an alternative. However, such communities often cooperate with peer villages in networks of their own (see Global Ecovillage Network for an example). This model of collective action is similar to that of Ten Thousand Villages, which supports the fair trade of goods worldwide. Ecology is the branch of science that studies the distribution and abundance of living organisms, and the interactions between organisms and their environment. ... An intentional community is a planned residential community designed to promote a much higher degree of social interaction than other communities. ... It has been suggested that affluenza and anti-consumerism be merged into this article or section. ... The Global Ecovillage Network is a global association of people and communities (ecovillages) dedicated to living sustainable plus lives by restoring the land and adding more to the environment than is taken. ... Ten Thousand Villages is a program of Mennonite Central Committee started in 1946 that pioneered the concept of fair trade by buying crafts directly from artisans in the developing world and paying a living wage. ... Certified Fair trade quinoa producers in Ecuador. ...

In 1991, Robert Gilman set out a definition of an ecovillage that was to become a standard. Gilman defined an ecovillage as a: Robert C. Gilman is a thinker on sustainability who, along with his late wife Diane Gilman, has researched and written about ecovillages. ...

• human-scale
• full-featured settlement
• in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world
• in a way that is supportive of healthy human development, and
• can be successfully continued into the indefinite future. [1]

Note: In recent years, Gilman has stated that he would also add the criterion that an ecovillage must have multiple centres of initiative. Human scale means of a scale comparable to a human being. A number of characteristic physical quantities can be associated with the human body, the human mind, and the preservation of human life. ...

The principles on which ecovillages rely can be applied to urban and rural settings, as well as to developing and developed countries. Advocates seek infrastructural independence and a sustainable lifestyle (for example, of voluntary simplicity) for inhabitants with a minimum of trade outside the local area, or ecoregion. Rural ecovillages are usually based on organic farming, permaculture and other approaches which promote ecosystem function and biodiversity. Some ecovillages integrate many of the design principles of cohousing, but with a greater ecological focus and a more "organic" process, typical of permaculture design. The city of San Francisco, an example of an urban area. ... Rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China Rural areas (also referred to as the country, countryside) are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities. ... Voluntary simplicity (or simple living) is a lifestyle considered by its adherents to be a sustainable, ecologically sensitive alternative to the typical, western consumerist lifestyle. ... An ecoregion, sometimes called a bioregion, is a relatively large area of land or water that contains a geographically distinct assemblage of natural communities. ... Organic cultivation of mixed vegetables in Capay, California. ... Permaculture Mandala summarising the ethics and principles of permaculture design. ... An ecosystem, a contraction of ecological and system, refers to the collection of biotic and abiotic components and processes that comprise and govern the behavior of some defined subset of the biosphere. ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ... A cohousing community is a kind of intentional community composed of private homes with full kitchens, supplemented by extensive common facilities. ...

An ecovillage usually relies on:

• "Green" infrastructural capital;
• autonomous building or clustered housing, to minimize ecological footprint;
• renewable energy;
• permaculture;
• cohousing or other forms of supportive community.
• The goal of most ecovillages is to be a Sustainable habitat providing for most of its needs on site.

Its organization also usually depends upon some instructional capital or moral codes - a minimal civics sometimes characterized as eco-anarchism: Green economics is an approach to economics in which the economy is considered to be a component of and dependent upon the natural world within which it resides and of which is it considered a part. ... Infrastructural capital refers to any physical means of production or means of protection beyond that which can be gathered or found directly in nature, i. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Off-the-grid. ... World renewable energy in 2005 (except 2004 data for items marked* or **). Enlarge image to read exclusions. ... Permaculture Mandala summarising the ethics and principles of permaculture design. ... A cohousing community is a kind of intentional community composed of private homes with full kitchens, supplemented by extensive common facilities. ... A sustainable habitat is an ecosystem that produces food and shelter for people and other organisms, without resource depletion and in such a way that no external waste is produced. ... Instructional capital is a term used in educational administration, to reflect capital resulting from investment in producing learning materials. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Morality. ... Civics is the science of comparative government and means of administering public trusts—the theory of governance as applied to state institutions. ... Eco-anarchism argues that small eco-villages (of no more than a few hundred people) are a scale of human living preferable to civilization, and that infrastructure and political systems should be re-organized to ensure that these are created. ...

• Local purchasing so as to support the local economy;
• local food production and distribution;
• moral purchasing to avoid objectionable consumption;
• consensus decision-making for governance;
• a choice to respect diversity.

The term ecovillage should not be confused with micronation, a strictly legal, not infrastructural, concept. Local purchasing is a preference to buy locally produced goods and services. ... It has been suggested that Local food network be merged into this article or section. ... Ethical consumerism is the practice of boycotting products which a consumer believes to be associated with unnecessary exploitation or other unethical behaviour. ... In economics, consumption refers to the final use of goods and services to provide utility. ... Flowchart of basic consensus decision-making process. ... The prerogative to respect diversity, often said to begin with biodiversity of non-human life, is basic to some 20th century studies such as cultural ecology, Queer studies, and anthropological linguistics. ... The micronation of Sealand A micronation – sometimes also referred to as a cybernation, fantasy country, model country, and new country project – is any entity that resembles independent nations or states but is unrecognized by them, and for the most part exist only on paper, on the Internet, or in the...

References

• Christian, D. 2003. Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities New Society Publishers. ISBN 0-86571-471-1
• Hill, R. and Dunbar, R. 2002. "Social Network Size in Humans." Human Nature, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 53-72.[2]
• Jackson, H. and Svensson, K. 2002. Ecovillage Living: Restoring the Earth and Her People. Green Books. ISBN 1-903998-16-6

Diana Leafe Christian is an author, editor of Communities magazine, and a national speaker and workshop presenter on starting new ecovillages and community and sustainability. ...

See also

• Bioneer
• EcoCommunalism
• Eco-feminism
• Green politics
• Sustainable habitat
• Green syndicalism
• Intentional Community
• List of ecovillages
• Bioenergy Village
• Cohousing
• Principles of Intelligent Urbanism

A bioneer is a biological pioneer who works with nature to heal nature. ... Eco-Communalism is an environmental philosophy based on ideals of simple living, local economies, and self-sufficiency (often associated with the ideologies of socialism, communalism, and sustainability). ... Ecofeminism is a biocentric environmental movement with cultural and social concerns. ... Green politics or Green ideology is the ideology of the Green Parties, mainly informed by environmentalism, ecology and sustainable economics and aimed at developing a sustainable society. ... A sustainable habitat is an ecosystem that produces food and shelter for people and other organisms, without resource depletion and in such a way that no external waste is produced. ... Green syndicalism has been used as a name for the philosophy of the green guild or sustainable trades movement. ... An intentional community is a planned residential community designed to promote a much higher degree of social interaction than other communities. ... This is a list of ecovillages: Note: Communities listed here should meet several components of Gilmans definition of an ecovillage (see Ecovillage article). ... A bio-energy village is a concept for the use of renewable energy sources in rural areas. ... A cohousing community is a kind of intentional community composed of private homes with full kitchens, supplemented by extensive common facilities. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

External links

• Global Ecovillage Network
• Ecovillage Network of the Americas
• Intentional Community and Ecovillage Database
• The North American Intentional Communities website
• Eurotopia Book, Directory of Intentional Communities and Ecovillages in Europe
• Living Together: Sustainable Community Development
• Ecovillage Wiki
• The Ecovillage Model
• Permaculture Magazine - incorporating Global Ecovillage Network News.

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