Community Where You Are


It’s the Law

Posted on August 25, 2015 by
3 Comments

Communal living is no escape from dealing with legal issues and challenges coming from both within and outside the group.


Urban Flex Farms: Farming on a Bicycle

Posted on August 4, 2015 by

In the face of structural challenges, some urban farmers are finding innovative ways to serve their neighborhoods.


We Got An Egg!: A Study in Scarcity

Posted on July 4, 2015 by

At the Global Village, schoolchildren get a taste of impoverished peoples’ struggles to feed themselves.


How the Kitchen Is the Heart of a Community

Posted on June 14, 2015 by

A shared kitchen provides not just physical sustenance, but emotional benefits and greater connection to our food and one another.


Cookin’ Dinner for the Revolution

Posted on June 4, 2015 by
1 Comment

A vibrant, reliable, and nourishing home-base can provide activists with a much-needed feeling of sustainability.


Why I’m a Locavore

Posted on June 1, 2015 by
1 Comment

By eating food grown locally by farmers we know, we can create a strong and resilient local food system and a healthier community.


Short-Term Vacation Cohousing: A Great Way to Learn

Posted on April 29, 2015 by
2 Comments

Two retirees discover a way to explore cohousing without long-term commitment—and after several extended visits, decide it’s for them.


A Baby Boomer Rediscovers Community

Posted on April 20, 2015 by

After falling into a disillusioning “status quo” existence, a baby boomer rekindles his zeal (and ability) to live by his values at Belfast Cohousing and Ecovillage.


The Power of Community

Posted on April 10, 2015 by

Cohousing can offer a much-improved quality of life to seniors and others; it’s time to break free of the self-inflicted “Oh, that’s not me!”


My Father the Toddler

Posted on April 2, 2015 by
2 Comments

An ex-communitarian tending full-time to an aging parent reflects on how intentional communities can help shift our approach to elder care.


Social Media or Social Isolation? Or is there a third way?

Posted on January 19, 2015 by

Avoiding computers can mean losing out on connecting with others when one is desperate for connection, yet a rich, computer-free, community-based social life is also possible.


Kindista: Technology for Living More Freely

Posted on January 9, 2015 by

Born of collaboration, an innovative technology helps build community by encouraging trust, appreciation, and giving from the heart.


Technology on the Path to Reality: Snapshots from the Pre-Post-Digital Age

Posted on December 29, 2014 by
1 Comment

Misadventures with a cell phone help the author dial into more enduring, meaningful adventures and relationships not dependent on an electronic-communications hamster wheel.


Back to Life: Returning from the Virtual to the Real

Posted on December 19, 2014 by

To shake our addiction to modern technology, we must understand its true costs. Stillwaters Sanctuary works to create a culture of greater connection, where it is easier to live without industrial society.


Technology: Our External Thumb

Posted on December 8, 2014 by
2 Comments

Instead of asking whether technology is a “friend or foe,” perhaps we should be asking how to better help friends and reduce foes through the use of technology.


“Appropriate” Technology and Community on the Path to Resiliency

Posted on November 28, 2014 by
1 Comment

At Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, efforts to foster a renaissance in land-based living go hand in hand with judicious use of modern design and communication technologies.


Technology, Nature, and Community

Posted on November 21, 2014 by

How does modern technology affect our ecological and social literacy? Are computers and their kin suppressing or enhancing the awareness, skills, and qualities essential to our nature as humans?


Kawsmos: The Unintentional Community

Posted on September 23, 2014 by

After 11 years of gathering, a group of Kaw Valley’s cosmic explorers realizes that community has happened to them.


Deepening Community: The joy of togetherness

Posted on September 3, 2014 by

Community grows when we make time to share our stories, enjoy one another, take care of one another, and work on building a better world together.


Community Conversations Campaign: Final Thoughts and Next Steps

Posted on September 3, 2014 by

In an age when prioritizing community is itself radical, self-awareness, self-care, and storytelling are essential to deepening our connections.


Dancing Rabbit’s Exchange Local Money System: The Promise of Local Currencies and Interest-Free Financing

Posted on June 14, 2014 by
4 Comments

Place-specific currencies can provide critical financing to the small businesses that keep local communities connected and thriving.


Business. Busy-ness. Coincidence?

Posted on June 5, 2014 by

Improving our relationships to work, money, and entrepreneurship can dramatically enhance our sense of community and quality of life.


Digging into Community: A reflection from Tamarack’s 1000 Conversations Initiative

Posted on June 2, 2014 by

Tamarack Institute’s Conversations campaign reveals shifting expectations of community among youth and seniors, varying perspectives on group identity and boundaries, and diverse attitudes toward technology.


Opportunity Village Eugene: Pioneering New Solutions for the (Formerly) Homeless

Posted on May 15, 2014 by
1 Comment

An innovative self-governing village lifts spirits while modeling new ways to address homelessness.


Margaret and Me: The Iron Lady Becomes an Unexpected Ally

Posted on May 11, 2014 by

A squatters’ housing cooperative activist describes how Margaret Thatcher broke with her image to support an early “occupy” movement.


Strangely Warmed

Posted on January 14, 2014 by

Home-scale geothermal in appropriate conditions promotes both community and energy savings.


The Peace Bridge

Posted on September 14, 2013 by

Tamarack Institute and FIC invite all of us to share our conversations about community.


The Veterans Writing Group and the Military Community

Posted on June 7, 2013 by

A group of veterans discovers empowerment, connection, and healing by forming a writing group.


The Values of Shared Ownership

Posted on June 7, 2013 by

Shared ownership—including of real estate—has many practical benefits.


Sharing Community Wisdom

Posted on June 7, 2013 by
1 Comment

Sharing, living close to the earth, honoring the cycles of life, and developing leadership and communication skills are essential parts of a healthy community experience.