About

It is the goal of this agency to make low impact sustainable development (EcoVillages) the new norm of community development by 2020.

The number one obstacle to building these environmentally, economically, and family/youth/elder friendly communities is the existing building codes and zoning laws.  Most people don't even know that these laws are under local jurisdiction of the 'county' and 'city' where they live.  Many States in America do have Uniform Building Codes that counties are free to adopt for ease and liability reasons.  However most counties are very involved with land use and building codes and many of the workers, directors, and staff have a genuine interest in the healthy development of their communities.

Sustainability is not a foreign word to our county officials.  You may even be surprised to learn that many counties have mechanisms in place that allow for changes in the building codes and zoning that would allow citizens to exercise their own rights to build their own homes and community in a manner fitting to their long term well being.  That is indeed why our local governments exist - to see to the needs of its citizens. 

If the biggest inhibitor to Low Impact Sustainable Development is building codes and zoning then the biggest inhibitor for counties to adopt new rules is the fiscal burden of making such revisions.  County officials would have to have something to work with as criteria to even begin such a process.  Then the county would have to pay for experts to form research committees to even begin drafting the language and details of those revisions.  And even if the county managed to successfully make such revisions who would train building inspectors and other officials to do proper oversight of these development?  The economic hardships that every county across the country has had to deal with since 2008 has required many counties to cut programs and staff so it is unrealistic to think that your county could bear the fiscal burden of such a task.

Solution:  

Form a citizen operated agency that would partner/work with the county and bear the fiscal burden by providing the initial criteria/protocol, assist in drafting the revisions, develop a pilot project for 'proof of concept', employ inspectors, architects, builders, and designers, and provide the county and community members with education, resources, and support the initiative and projects.

The agency would be structured in such a way that it could receive public support and donations for operating expenses while also being able to act as an employment hub for experts in alternative building/designs, permaculture design, CSA and organic farming experts, renewable energy, and a plethora of other services that developing communities would be in need of.  Such an agency would be easy for citizens in other counties to duplicate and a national network would begin to form as each county imported the program into their own community.

After many years of research and scouting for the perfect county to work with a founding team is now coming together to move forward on this agenda.  Sign up to follow the historic progress of this initiative.