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Formed: 1992 Established: 1996
EcoVillage at Ithaca
Ithaca, New York,
United States
 Located in the beautiful rolling hills of New York's Finger Lakes region, Ecovillage at Ithaca has two thriving cohousing communities with plans for a third in process. The village features cooperative dining in the common houses, a swimming pond, neighborhood community gardens, hiking trails, play spaces, and sixty passive-solar, energy-efficient homes in a multigenerational village-scale community.
The pedestrian village is surrounded by woods and open meadows. We have a 10-acre organic fruit and vegetable farm on site that provides much of the produce for residents, and a 5-acre berry farm that has delicious organic U-Pick berries.
Our goal is to build a replicable model of a cooperative, environmentally sensitive village, that can also serve as a demonstration site for teaching principles of sustainability.
Our non-profit educational organization is affiliated with both Cornell and Ithaca College. Our developing educational program provides hands-on training in community life and on building sustainable communities. We have helped to initiate and contribute to a sustainability movement in our locality that is bringing about profound changes in this region.
Ecovillage is located on 176 acres 1 1/2 miles from downtown Ithaca and 3 1/2 miles from Cornell University and Ithaca College. Ninety percent of the land is preserved as green space for organic agriculture and wildlife habitat. For more information about EVI, read Liz Walker's book, "EcoVillage at Ithaca: Pioneering a Sustainable Culture", New Society Publishers, 2005. Available from our website.
 
Website: http://www.ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us/
Contact:
EcoVillage at Ithaca
115 Rachel Carson Way
Ithaca, New York 14850 United States
Phone: 607-272-5149
Send an Email
Former/Other Names: EcoVillage at Ithaca, EVI
Last Updated:1/17/2008
 
Visitors Accepted
 (Must arrange a time with our Visit Coordinator. No drop-ins.)
Visitor Process: People are welcome to come to our free public tour, at 3pm on the last Saturday of each month. If that doesn't work for your schedule, you can arrange a private tour by contacting our visit coordinator at least one week in advance. (visit-coordinator@ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us). We ask that people who take a private tour join our non-profit educational organization, EVI,Inc. as members ($30/single, $40/household)in exchange for our time. We have some overnight accommodations available - check with the visitor coordinator re availability.
Network Affiliations:
Ecovillage Network of the Americas
:: GEN - Global Ecovillage Network
:: Coho/US
:: Fellowship for Intentional Community
Population
Adult Members:
102
Child Members:
60
Non-member Residents:
5
Open to new adults:
Yes
(TREE (Third Neighborhood))
Open to new children:
Yes
(TREE (Third Neighborhood))
Gender Balance:
45% M 55% F
Ethnic Diversity:
10% identify as 'people of color'
Age Restrictions:
No
Government
Decision Making:
By consensus
Identified Leader:
No
Leadership Core Group:
No
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
Members have independent finances
Labor Contribution:
Expected
(2-4 hours per week)
Join Fee:
Yes
($75 to get on waiting list. No fee to join.)
Regular Fees:
Yes
(There are monthly maintenance fees for each cohousing neighborhood. Plus an annual membership fee to the Village Association.)
Land and Buildings
Other
(We're on the edge of a small town. Our land includes farmland.)
Area:
175 acres (70.8 hectares)
Land Owned By:
Another form of Non-profit
(EVI, Inc., the educational non-profit which started the project, owns most of the land. The Village Association, made up of residents owns the land surrounding the village.)
Number of Residences:
60
(There are 30 duplexes. All homes are attached.)
Cohousing:
Yes
Food, etc.
Percentage of Food Grown:
21-50%
(lots of veggies, some fruits)
Share Community Meals:
2-5 times/week
(There are two Village-wide meals a week, plus one limited to each neighborhood. All are optional.)
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
Diet is up to each individual
Dietary Practice:
Primarily vegetarian
(There are a wide range of individual dietary choices from omnivorous to vegan.)
Alcohol Use:
Used occasionally
Tobacco Use:
Prohibited
(Never in Common Houses but there is no policy against general use. However no members are tobacco users.)
Social Factors
Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members:
Yes
Restrictions on Romantic Relationships (between consenting adults):
No
Shared Spiritual Path:
No
Which Spiritual Path(s):
Other
(We have a wide variety of spiritual traditions practiced.)
Educational Style(s):
Private school off the property
:: Private school at the community
:: Home schooling
:: Public schooled
(Plans for a Sustainable Secondary School are underway.)
Cohousing Details
Cohousing Status:
Completed
Year Completed:
2004
(Second Neighborhood homes were completed in 2004. First Neighborhood in 1996. Third neighborhood is in the design stages.)
Number of Units:
30+30
Architect:
first neighborhood...Housecraft Builders, Jerry Weisburd second neighborhood...multiple
Developer:
In each neighborhood, the residents were the developers, but we used development managers. For the first neighborhood Housecraft Builders was the development manager. For the second neighborhood residents Liz Walker and Rod Lambert were development managers for the pre-construction phase.
Commercial Lender:
Tompkins Trust Company
 
 


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