Living Landscapes
Observe. Integrate. Design

Module 23 / 25

Ecovillage and Neighborhood Design

A Living Landscapes planting plan with curved garden beds and paths.

Community design connects the physical layout of a place with the agreements that support life there. The earlier work on communication, economics, and land access now becomes part of a shared design problem: how space, ownership, funding, decisions, and care relate to one another.

The community videos introduce examples to consider alongside the book reading and zoning resource. You can then use the design cards to explore those relationships in preparation for your discussion, including how the design responds to people of different ages and abilities.

Topics

  • Working at the political / personal edge to achieve effective land stewardship
  • Use of Pc principles: Design, education, planning social and invisible structures
  • Infrastructure development and financing
  • Defined governance and ownership structure; collective management and adaptation
  • Develop and promote a local, ecological, and economic base
  • Shared responsibility and predictable challenges
  • Intergenerational connections and responsibility; community glue

What you’ll learn

Learning goals

  • Know how to design physical and invisible structures that encourage and support healthy community interaction

Read, watch & explore

Getting the books · access & editions

Use your own copy, buy the book, or borrow it through a library when possible. If you are local to me, contact me about borrowing a copy. You can also contact me for information about digital or other access to assigned readings.

If your edition uses different page numbers, contact me and we can match the correct section.

For articles, excerpts, videos, and other resources, use the links in the lesson. If a video player does not load, try its source link. If you cannot access a reading or media resource, or it has no link, contact me with the module number and resource title.

Ask about books, readings or media access ↗

Community design examples

Watch

Models & Principles of Eco Villages Complied by CafeTerra

YouTube

Look at the connection between the physical design of a community and the arrangements for living and working together.

Watch on YouTube

If the player does not load, use the source link.

Watch

Sustainable Communities (2/13)

YouTube

Compare this example with the preceding models, considering the shared spaces, responsibilities, and decisions involved.

Watch on YouTube

If the player does not load, use the source link.

Shared space and governance

Use the community examples to give the next readings a setting. Consider how the use of shared space relates to decisions, funding, and the rules that apply to the place.

Book reading

Practical Permaculture

Jessi Bloom and Dave Boehnlein

Use Pages 299 to 302 for this community-design discussion. The economics and group-process selections assigned in Modules 20 and 21 also support the discussion and need not be read again.

Pages 290 to 303: Ecovillage and neighborhood design

Pages 299 to 302: Focus within the assigned reading

The economics and group-process sections assigned in Modules 20–21 need not be read again.

Book access & editions

Apply the design cards

Explore

Ecovillage Design Cards - Global Ecovillage Network

ecovillage.org

Explore the cards' cultural, economic, ecological, and social themes. Use their questions to develop the notes or sketch for this module's community-design discussion, considering how shared space, decisions, funding, and maintenance affect one another. Include the needs of different ages and abilities.

Open resource

Exercise & discussion

Choose your design or a community project you can learn about through its published information. Explain how shared space, ownership, funding, decision-making, and maintenance affect one another. Include the needs of different ages and abilities. Add your notes or sketch to your design portfolio.

What to prepare

  • Your notes or sketch showing how ownership, funding, decision-making, shared space, maintenance, and the needs of different ages and abilities relate in your design or chosen community project.

Save written notes as a document or PDF. For paper maps or handwritten notes, use a clear photo or scan. You can combine related work in one file.

Share & discuss

Attach your community-design notes or sketch.

Email the address listed under “Get In Touch” on my contact page. Do not use the contact form. Include the Permaculture Design Course, Module 23, and “Community design” in your subject or message.

Find my email address ↗

Readings & resources

Return to the course outline ↑