All Blog Posts
Getting to Community and Life after Community: Collectivism vs. Individuality
Posted on January 1, 2016 by1 Comment
Togetherness and solitude, action and reflection—our lives give us times for each.
Why intentional communities matter!
Posted on December 29, 2015 byWhy do intentional communities matter? A message from Sky Blue, FIC Executive Director Dear friends of the FIC, It’s been a big year for us, and as the new Executive Director, I… Read More
An Evolving Movement
Posted on December 21, 2015 by1 Comment
The FIC’s new Executive Director reflects on his and the organization’s converging paths.
One of the hardest things you’ll ever do
Posted on December 17, 2015 byLiving in an intentional community is one of hardest things you can do. Why? Well, despite our social nature we’ve managed to create a hyper-individualized society. The luxury is that… Read More
Finding Community Outside of “Community”
Posted on December 11, 2015 by1 Comment
Myriad groups and connections on “the outside” don’t call themselves intentional—but sometimes are.
How a New Generation is Finding Education Abroad- Without A Tuition
Posted on December 10, 2015 byA generation in search of answers There’s long been a bug in the minds of the new generation- something doesn’t add up about the modern life path. We’ve heard it… Read More
Three Kinds of Community—Three Kinds of Experience and Learning
Posted on December 1, 2015 byWhether with refugees, in the inner city, or in intentional groups, community holds life-long lessons.
New Directory, New Manager
Posted on November 28, 2015 byEditor’s note: Earlier this year as we began planning the overhaul of the online Communities Directory and the publication of the 7th print edition, we learned that our Directory Manager… Read More
What is a CLT? Your complete guide is waiting.
Posted on November 27, 2015 byCommunity Bookstore Featured Title Community Land Trust Reader by Kim Kanney, Community Bookstore Manager Community Land Trust Reader edited by John Emmeus Davis Hardcover; 616 pages $35 “The community land… Read More
Many Faces
Posted on November 26, 2015 byOur new issue, supported by High Wind Association, explores the many forms community can take.
The Many Faces of Community, #169 Contents
Posted on November 24, 2015 by4 Comments
Community can take many forms other than “intentional.” In our Winter issue, veterans of the High Wind Association network and others share their experiences exploring and cultivating community both within and outside of intentional community settings.
The Legacy of the Communities Directory
Posted on November 17, 2015 byToday the Foundation for Intentional Community is launching a Kickstarter campaign to raise $6000—the funds needed to assemble a new print version of our flagship publication, Communities Directory. This will… Read More
Children in Community
Posted on November 5, 2015 byCommunity Bookstore Special Best of Communities ― The Cream of Our Crop Children in Community by Kim Kanney, Community Bookstore Manager Best of Communities Volume VIII Children in Community A special… Read More
Nobody Likes Bosses
Posted on November 1, 2015 byEven an anti-authoritarian household needs agreements—but who and how to enforce them is another question.
Local Money: What difference does it make?
Posted on October 31, 2015 byCommunity Bookstore feature Local Money by Kim Kanney, Community Bookstore Manager Local Money What difference does it make? by John Rogers Digital Edition $10 Local currencies ― sometimes referred to as… Read More
My Squat Law Journey
Posted on October 21, 2015 byAfter years of advocacy, social justice work, and on-the-ground experience, a squatter passes the bar exam.
What if we were Thriving?
Posted on October 17, 2015 byCommunity Bookstore feature Thrivability by Kim Kanney, Community Bookstore Manager Thrivability Breaking Through to a World that Works by Jean M. Russell Print Edition $20 Digital Edition $15 “What would… Read More
Land Use Regulations, Urban Planners, and Intentional Communities
Posted on October 11, 2015 by1 Comment
A century since the United States’ first citywide zoning ordinance, community founders can find support in unexpected places when navigating land use laws.
Thanks to Contributors to the Website and Communities Directory
Posted on October 2, 2015 byThanks to Previous Contributors to the Website and Communities Directory About the FIC Website The Intentional Communities Website (ic.org) came online in 1994 and is published by the Foundation for… Read More
My Struggle to Legalize Sustainable Living
Posted on October 1, 2015 by8 Comments
After nearly three decades of activity, a pioneering eco-community collapses under the weight of legal attacks by a small group of neighbors.
What is a healthy relationship?
Posted on September 26, 2015 byCommunity Bookstore Special Best of Communities ― The Cream of Our Crop Relationships, Intimacy, Health, and Well-being by Kim Kanney, Community Bookstore Manager Best of Communities Volume VII Relationships, Intimacy, Health,… Read More
It Takes All Kinds to Raise a Village
Posted on September 21, 2015 byAfter an engaged local citizenry creates cultural shifts, a city endorses rather than prosecutes code-bending strategies that promote resilient community.
How to Find Community
Posted on September 16, 2015 byHow to Find and Join an Intentional Community by McCune Porter, eNews editor A key component of the non-profit Fellowship’s mission is “To serve as a reference source for those… Read More
ICSA Conference 2016 Announcement
Posted on September 15, 2015 byAnnouncement from the ICSA! INTERNATIONAL COMMUNAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION The 12th International ICSA Conference will be held in Tamera, Portugal in July 2016 The official Tamera website for ICSA2016 is now… Read More
My Intentional Community and the Law
Posted on September 11, 2015 byBreitenbush has a long history of dealing with legalities and illegalities, from installing a volcano as their “boiler” and blocking old-growth logging to successfully petitioning for a zoning variance.
Zoning Nightmare: Hartford’s Scarborough Street House
Posted on September 1, 2015 byAn unconventional family fights to stay in their collective house in the face of antiquated local ordinances which suppress community living.
It’s the Law
Posted on August 25, 2015 by3 Comments
Communal living is no escape from dealing with legal issues and challenges coming from both within and outside the group.
Community and the Law, #168 Contents
Posted on August 21, 2015 byCommunity and the Law can be uneasy bedfellows. Some intentional communities are hobbled by legal restrictions—especially zoning, building codes, and permitting requirements—or by other effects, both within and outside the group, of a complaint-driven legal system. Yet some groups are able to forge new approaches and help change codes and laws to support more cooperative and resilient ways of living. In “Community and the Law,” authors share on-the-ground stories and guidance for others hoping to coexist peacefully and productively with the Law.
How do I resolve group conflict?
Posted on August 4, 2015 byCommunity Bookstore Special Best of Communities ― The Cream of Our Crop Agreements, Conflicts, and Communication by Kim Kanney, Community Bookstore Manager Best of Communities Volume VI Agreements, Conflicts, and Communication… Read More
Urban Flex Farms: Farming on a Bicycle
Posted on August 4, 2015 byIn the face of structural challenges, some urban farmers are finding innovative ways to serve their neighborhoods.
