Sustainable Communities: Lessons for Aspiring Eco-Villages
Malcolm Hollick & Christine Connolly
This book first introduces eco-village concepts and then describes eleven eco-villages and communities in Australia, the USA and Europe. Seven of these are members of the Global Eco-village Network and/or the Eco-village Network of the Americas.
An integrated view of each community is given which includes details of their beliefs and values; legal, financial, social and economic structures; technological systems, and interactions with the outside world.
In the second part of the book, eight key issues arising from this study are discussed in depth:
- Building the legal foundations
- Finding the money
- Community sharing versus individual responsibility Creating a caring, sharing community
- Making decisions and managing conflicts
- Making a living
- Land selection and community design
- Technologies
The book contains a careful discussion of what makes a community an eco-village, and an imaginative glimpse of a sustainable future based on eco-village communities.
Authors: Malcolm Hollick & Christine Connolly
Malcolm Hollick had a long career as an academic at the University of Western Australia. His research and teaching on various aspects of sustainable development convinced him the grassroots eco-village movement is vitally important for creating a sustainable future for humanity. In 1997, he and his partner, Christine Connelly, visited and studied eleven eco-villages in Australia, the USA and Europe. Christine’s intuitive approach and her skill and experience in networking with people complemented Malcolm’s analytical outlook to produce a balanced perception of the communities visited.
