{"id":118140,"key":"Ecovillage_&_Intentional_Community_Solutions:_Research_Questions_and_Needs","title":"Ecovillage & Intentional Community Solutions: Research Questions and Needs","latest":{"id":1217460,"timestamp":"2025-12-16T16:20:02Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"{{Ecovillage Research Project notice}}{{Ecovillage Research Project navigation}}\n\n=== LISTING IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER FOR THE TIME BEING. [Please feel free to suggest any alternate organizing principles that might prove helpful.] ===\n\n* '''''Climate change:''''' How is climate change affecting agriculture in different regions? What plants are best to consider for our newly destablized climate? What crops need to be considered for moving to new locations because of climate extremes, and what kinds of extremes (hot/cold, wet/dry, high winds, hail, etc.). Examples already include: wine grapes, apples, citrus fruits, and peaches, also changes in ranges for fish and other ocean-based foods.\n** Include discussion about the COP28 decision to expand linkages between agricultural practices and GHG reductions.\n* '''''Design Frameworks'''''\n** Check this one: http://symoto.org/ System for modeling resource stocks and flows.\n** Biophilic Design. https://biophilicdesigninstitute.com/\n* '''''Ecovillage failure modes, causes, stages of progress, etc.''''' Can we document what stage of development different “failed” ecovillages were in, when the failures occurred? Are there common “[https://www.researchgate.net/search.Search.html?query=%22Valley+of+Death%22&type=publication&subfilter%5BstartYear%5D=2020 valley of death]” challenges that make ecovillage success especially difficult to achieve? What are the vulnerabilities? What are options for avoiding or overcoming such challenges?\n** I. Zelenika and J.M. Pearce, “Barriers to Appropriate Technology Growth in Sustainable Development”, Journal of Sustainable Development 4(6), 12-22 (2011). Open access: https://www.academia.edu/1508504/Barriers_to_Appropriate_Technology_Growth_in_Sustainable_Development\n* '''''Energy Conservation, Efficiency --''''' Conscious and conscientious reductions in energy use. What are all the ideas about using less energy due to personal choices, like voluntary simplicity, resource sharing, transportation planning and \"trip stacking.\" Where do all these topics belong in the hierarchy of tools, techniques, and practices?\n** Examples: no air travel. Reduce, reuse, recycle, repair. Use less.\n* '''''Governance, Decision-Making, and Social Dimensions.''''' How shall we incorporate governance, decision-making, and social dimensions of ecovillages and intentional communities into our growing catalog of tools, techniques, and practices? Might we incorporate a \"petal chart\" for explaining this purpose? Here are a few links about petal charts:\n** https://www.superchart.io/blog/petal-diagram\n** https://www.slideegg.com/petal-diagram-template-ppt-free\n** https://slidebazaar.com/templates/six-petal-flower-diagram-powerpoint-google-slides/\n** https://www.istockphoto.com/illustrations/petal-diagram-template\n\n{| class=\"wikitable\"\n! [[File:Petal Chart 1.png|thumb|Example Petal Chart from Stanton presentation, 2020. I prefer this version because the different colors clearly show the intersections or overlaps between two of three or among all three petals. I think that can help to explore the major different ideas. This is still very much an early work in progress. I think a basic diagram will be helpful to introduce the different topics and help organize them conceptually, as the list grows ever larger.]]\n! [[File:Petal Chart 2.png|thumb|This similar diagram is based on the Triple Bottom Line concept, as originally proposed by John Elkington, in his 1999 book entitled \"Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21St Century Business.\" https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Cannibals-With-Forks-by-John-Elkington/9781841120843\n\nNote other names used to represent the three main ideas include: People, Planet, Prosperity (or Profit); or perhaps in the case of Ecovillage and Intentional Community concepts,(1) Social/Governance/Decision-Making, (2) Environmental, Ecological; and (3) Tools, Techniques.]]\n|}\n\n* '''''Life Stages for both Ecovillages and for the communities of people who are living in Ecovillages.'''''\n** What life stages from pregancy to birth, toddler, youth, teen, young adult, mature, etc. (including possible eventual decline and death) describe ecovillages? Please help flesh out a systematic listing of stages. For each major life stage, include references to the best few books about each topic.\n*** Chelsea Green Publishing, https://www.chelseagreen.com/?s=ecovillage, https://www.chelseagreen.com/product-category/farming-homesteading/, https://www.chelseagreen.com/self-sufficient/, https://www.chelseagreen.com/product-category/community-resilience/\n*** Foundation for Intentional Communities, https://www.ic.org/intentional-community-books/\n*** Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), https://ecovillage.org/store/ and https://ecovillage.org/solution/open-source-appropriate-technology-osat/\n*** Island Press, https://islandpress.org/search?keywords=intentional%20community&type=book\n*** New Society Publishers, https://newsociety.com/subjects/conscious-community\n*** [Editor note: What other great publishers regularly produce books or other materials to aide those who are working to establish or grow ecovillages?]\n** Similarly for ecovillage communities, can we help people understand which ones are most suitable for residents of various life-stages from birth thru death? Many people will want to understand provisions for every age level, and it seems clear that eventual accessibility of all kinds (for those too young, or too old, or for whatever reasons have physical challenges that need certain accommodations to be comfortable and safe in their surroundings).\n*** Examples: Dementia Village living: https://www.dementiavillage.com/ Also New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/03/realestate/dementia-villages-senior-living.html Also\n*** Examples: Ideas for young children (Christopher Alexander patterns for safe play for toddlers and youth).\n*** Examples: The Green House Elder Care Project. https://thegreenhouseproject.org/\n*** Example: Concept of a special intentional community for people \"on the autism spectrum\" who may need special accommodations for sensory inputs.\n* '''''Maps and databases of ecovillages''''', combining data from multiple information sources? Can we make a comprensive listing? Can it include database categories for searching, such as: year founded, geographic location types (by climate type, country, hemisphere, etc.), major focuses, etc.? Where else do comprehensive directories exist? Does someone know enough about mapping and databases to help achieve this goal? See, for starters:\n** https://ecoversities.org/ecoversities/ -- Check their website for connections and to search for project success case studies.\n** Ecovillage Map\n** Ecovillage Map / Data\n** Ecovillages of Western Europe (2023 map). https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1hIFFKg8O2yHTdo7UG3AnrvpvXGs&hl=en_US&ll=45.69930239995541%2C-6.021432437499925&z=4\n** Ecovillages of Eastern Europe. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1H_74Y83osRm2Bc5vQ06127qUmLM&hl=en_US&ll=48.74697245365909%2C17.634360875000098&z=4\n* '''TECHNOLOGY TYPES'''\n** Appropriate Technology -- National Center for Appropriate Technology (Montana).\n** Low-technology -- https://lowtechinstitute.org/\n** Intermediate Technology\n** High technology\n** VERNACULAR design\n\n== RESOURCES ==\n\n* '''''Back to main page''''': [[Ecovillages & Intentional Communities Energy and Climate Action Research Project]]\n* Ecolise (Europe). Review their website in detail and incorporate information into the database. https://www.ecolise.eu/\n* Elon University (North Carolina), building new \"ecovillage housing\" for students. https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2024/06/26/an-ecovillage-a-new-commons-and-more-in-the-works-this-summer-at-elon/\n* https://www.ecogather.sterlingcollege.edu/intentional-community-study-group\n* GEN Solution Library. Depending what happens with discussions between Appropedia and GEN, we might refer people to the GEN library and explain how to add case study reports there. This information would belong on the project main page, under the heading for DESIGN GUIDES AND FRAMEWORKS.\n\n{{Page data\n| part-of = Ecovillages & Intentional Communities Energy and Climate Action Research Project\n| keywords = ecovillage, sustainable development, climate action\n| license = CC-BY-SA-4.0\n| language = en\n| title = Research Questions and Needs\n}}"}