How to Start an Eco-Village

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For anyone who’s ever dreamed of residing in an environmentally-conscious community, Craik (population 450) has lessons to share. Over the past decade, the Saskatchewan town has reinvented itself as a bona fide eco-village, This Magazine reports.

The magazinebreaks down the community’s green transformation into five straightforward steps, but the most interesting has to be #1: Find a small town. As This explains: After decades of rural flight, many small towns are eager for new ideas–and new residents. I’m curious how the social dynamics play out (a bunch of eco-newcomers descending on an established community?), but the potential for a win-win scenario is equally intriguing.

“When Saskatchewan’s Prairie Institute for Human Ecology first suggested the idea of an eco-village in 2001, Craik jumped on it,” Kelly-Anne Riess writes. “Seeing the project as a chance to address climate change and revitalize its community, [Craik] donated 127 acres of land for the eco-village.”

Source: This Magazine

Image by MissusK, licensed under Creative Commons.

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