What is an Intentional Community?

An intentional community is an inclusive term that covers ecovillages, cohousing, residential land trusts, communes, student co-ops, and urban housing cooperatives. They are often planned communities created for people who have a shared way of thinking in a social, political, or spiritual thread. In intentional communities resources and responsibilities are often shared among the members living there.

Many people think that intentional communities died out in the 1960s and 1970s, however that is not so. There are at least 500 intentional communities thriving in the US alone. Most of these communities are listed in online databases such as Intentional Communities (www.ic.org), the Intentional Community listing at tribe.net (intentionalcommunity.tribe.net) and the Cohousing Network (www.cohousing.org). There are many different communities listed at these sites, and many more that exist privately and unlisted.

Intentional communities encompass a wide range of diversity and functions. The purposes behind each community, and the people who choose to live in each, are unique to each one. Rarely will you find two communities that are alike. Some communities are designed to be ecological and members choose voluntary simplicity, while other may be united as a spiritual or religious group and choose to live under the same principles. There are even intentional communities set up by and for special interests groups such as war refugees, homeless, or those with disabilities.

Though the term intentional community is sometimes interchanged with commune not all communities operate as communes. In a commune everything is shared communally; the property, finances, food, etc... are all shared equally among the members. Not all intentional communities operate in this style. Many have some shared resources, such as community centers or community gardens, but have varying degrees of personal property and personal finances.

The people who choose to live in intentional communities are as vastly different as the communities themselves. Adults from their 20s to their 60's, families with children, "hippies", environmentalists, artists, and more can be found in many of the intentional communities across the US. While some tend to be left of center on the political spectrum, there are many homesteading communities created for those who identify to the right or who choose to live a Biblical lifestyle.

Joining an intentional community varies from one community to the next. Most have a selection process where the person seeking membership is voted on by those already in the community. Generally the person will visit the community once, or possibly several times, in order to get a feel for what life would be like living there and to let everyone have a chance to meet him or her and decide whether they would make a good fit. Some intentional communities have a committee that votes on the new members, some allow all the members in the community to vote. While most intentional communities are democratic there are some that have a hierarchal or authoritarian structure. In some intentional; communities new members go through a trial period of six months to a year, at the end of the trial period they are re-evaluated.

Some people believe that the majority of intentional communities are cults, or are groups led by a central leader. The fact is that the majority of these communities are democratic in nature. While some bad communities have made headlines for violence and abuse, these communities are in the minority. The overwhelming majority of intentional communities exist quietly and peacefully and are considered wonderful places to live by their members. Those who live around these communities often consider them good neighbors to have.

For those seeking a place to live, work, and grow with like minded people intentional communities offers a welcome refuge out of the traditional society. Finding a community that fits their ideals and beliefs can feel like finally finding a home. Though intentional communities are often misunderstood by the general public, as more and more people seek to find a place where they can live with others who share their ideals these communities are gaining notice.