I have changed the name of the project to "A Village Full of Coops and am starting to collaborate with others to build this very large project which will require approximately 500 people, composed of families and individuals.

I have done extensive research over many years. Now I have found Village Towns and encourage you to look at the website:

http://www.villageforum.com

This description is from the Village Town folks:

VillageTowns is a completely outside-the-box approach to real estate development. As we approach the end of the age of belief in infinite consumption, we need to create a new model for growth. GDP growth implies unlimited material resources. Problem is that, except for the odd meteor, scientists tell us there is no new matter created on earth. Our mastery of consumption of matter has grown to global proportions to the point where we now can see the endgame and it is not pretty. Most folks are responding either with (a) a gloomy outlook for a bleak and lesser future or (b) denial.

We disagree. In VillageTowns we shift to a growth in consumption of matter to a growth in harnessing of energy. Scientists will tell us there is a constant flow of new energy streaming into Earth every day. But in VillageTowns we are not talking about solar energy, but rather human energy. Aristotle wrote that when several villages came together to become self-supporting, the purpose of the continuance of what he called the polis (city-state or village-town) was to enable its citizens to enjoy a good life. This good life is understood as the social pursuits of conviviality, citizenship and artistic, intellectual & spiritual growth. For example, conviviality does not require a new Mercedes Benz, the latest iGadget or any other consumer good, except perhaps good, locally-grown flavorful food and drink (which comes from solar energy interacting with human intelligence... aka farming). It comes from laughter, enjoying other peoples company, and it happens, as Jane Jacobs shows, when people are proximate - when the design of a community supports connecting with people without an appointment or a formal structure... the cafe, tavern, town plaza or pedestrian street with lots of sitting places. Likewise, human growth is an energy-based system that is about taking care, learning, creativity, and like love, the more you give the more you get. Again, to facilitate such growth, one must invest in a framework that enables it. Separating people isolates them. Building places that fosters interaction enables people to grow.

At a practical level the VillageTown concept was developed into a very detailed framework that makes it possible to build in less than three years by involving the future villagers from the onset. We are currently working on raising the required start-up funds ($5 million) by doing independent business deals where the VillageTown Stewards have agreed instead of taking commissions for these deals they will contribute the (post-taxed) money to the VillageTown Stewards and Company to move VillageStewards from an idea to a project. We have targeted the USA, New Zealand, Australia and the EU as likely candidates for the first projects.

To start, have a look at http://villageforum.com and order the most recent book VillageTowns - the next step ($20).

  Status: Long-term project