photo credit: Ecovillage at Ithaca, ecovillageithaca.org

Often times, my posts here at The Greenists are inspired by a word or phrase I hear in passing and wonder what it means. I then do a little basic research and a little while later, voila — I’ve got myself a post. Of course, this means a lot of my writing here comes off as Green Topics for Dummies, but hey — I’m a dummy about a lot of stuff, and we can all use a little basic knowledge sometimes. Right? We’ll go with that.

Anyway, I don’t remember where I heard a reference to ecovillages (though I can assure you it was NOT the 1996 Pauly Shore gem known as Bio-Dome), but hear it I did, and so set out to find out what they really are.

Essentially, ecovillages are small communities of people who share common spiritual, economic, and ecological values. Often they see the modern lifestyles embraced by much of the world, including factory farming, consumerism and urban sprawl, as a threat to the natural order of life. Ecovillages are an alternative to modern living, and the goal is often to minimize ecological impact as much as possible.

Today, there are ecovillages in more than 70 countries on six continents. You may be thinking that the inhabitants of these villages live in tents or mud huts or something along those lines, but that’s not actually the case. Most ecovillages include housing — it’s just sustainable housing, built around efficiency, sustainability and community. You can rent or buy a place, just like regular neighborhoods.

In short, ecovillages are not as out-there as you might think. They include schools, churches, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructures. Many are located just outside major cities, with easy access to public transportation. You could think of them as homeowners associations with earth-friendliness as their central goal.

Governments across the world are starting to see the examples set by these ecovillages, and they’re starting to give out grant money so these ecovillages can serve as models for low-impact development. One ecovillage in Wales recently was given £350,000 to build more sustainable buildings.

What do you think of ecovillages? Does anyone out there live in one or near one? What do you think we can learn from ecovillages? Would you like to see more of them, or is this a little too extreme for you? Please share.