Greening Together

The ecovillage movement is emerging from idealism to practical application. This movement strives to develop a low-impact lifestyle by incorporating ecological design features such as alternative energy, environmentally benign materials, permaculture, and community-building practices. Evolved from the cohousing movement of Denmark in the 1960s, ecovillages have gained momentum in Canada, where they are developed through a consensus-based grassroots process. Governments and developers have entered this process with some success. Some shortcomings of ecovillages include their tendency to contribute to urban sprawl, and their difficulty in attracting a diverse population.