Governance Structure(s)

The community should establish a clear system for decision making, including the roles and responsibilities of different members, and the processes for addressing conflicts and disputes.

How we set our agreements:

How we change our agreements:

Who gets to participate in the decision making process?

Ways someone could…

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Legal Entity

Determine your legal status.

Consider organizing your project into multiple legal entities:

• Land Holding

• Land can be owned privately or collectively

• Community Land Trust

• Tenancy in Common (TIC)

• Country/Municipality

Development Entity: An entity to handle your finances, development, reinvestment. The business side of your…

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Unshared Community Outlook on Life

What diversity of opinion do you respect? While it is certainly very healthy to welcome a variety of people, it is also perfectly acceptable for a community to define, for example, that they are a vegan community and would therefore prefer all-vegan members. If that is so, include those aspects above, in…

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Shared Community Outlook on Life

What beliefs unite your community? These beliefs include personal shared interests and hobbies (art, herbalism, technology, surfing etc.), lifestyle choices (diet, off-grid homesteading, etc.), and fundamental shared values such as spirituality and politics. What are the primary qualities that community members…

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What do you know about indigenous worldview? Where can you learn more about indigenous worldviews? How will you incorporate indigenous worldview and lifestyle into your community?

Alternative Economic Systems

Are you familiar with these, or know anyone who is? How would you like to incorporate these economic concepts into your community?

Alternative Economic Systems to be aware of:

• Gift Economies – Economies based on reciprocity and “paying it forward or back” in the mindset of shared abundance and frequent sharing and…

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Economic Practices Within the Community

How expenses are shared

How work is shared

How participation is rewarded:

– Money

– Gifts

– Privileges and Special Access

– Tokens

– Status or Influence

Economic Belief Systems

What does your community believe in when it comes to economic systems?

Does your community have an alternative mission for the economic interactions of its inhabitants, both within the community and outside of the community?

How does your community plan to relate to the established economic system?

How does your…

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Resource sharing

Agreements should be made around the sharing of resources such as land, water, energy, and materials. This could include the establishment of a community garden, shared tools, and systems for waste management.

Economic sustainability: The community should agree on how to generate income and manage finances, as well as how…

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Resiliency & Solutions to Climate Emergencies

What climate emergencies is your community susceptible to?

How will you design your community to mitigate these climate threats?

Think of how you will be a good ancestor. How will your actions be oriented to stewarding the earth’s resources for future generations? What are your commitments to conservation, of land, biodiversity, resources, etc.?

Regenerative Agriculture & Food Security

How would you like to incorporate this practice into your community?

Permaculture Design

How would you like to incorporate this practice into your community?

Green Building Methods

How would you like to incorporate this practice into your community?

Renewable Energy

How would you like to incorporate this…

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Explore shared beliefs and practices about environmental stewardship. The community should establish agreements around the use of natural resources, the reduction of waste and emissions, and the preservation of wildlife and ecosystems.

Ecological Belief System

Write the overarching philosophies your community members share about how to coexist…

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What happens if the community closes?

What happens when a community member wants to sell their share or lot?

What happens if community founders no longer agree about the vision of the community?

Ask these types of questions

How does your community relate to and integrate technology into its daily life?

What are you community’s views on education?

– Education for kids

– Education for adults

What kind of education will be available within your community?

Will higher education be available inside your community?

How does your community care for its elders?

How does your community train and apprentice young people to be empowered to carry on the community vision?

Inclusivity Agreements

Use this space to create a manifesto of sorts about your community’s accessibility and inclusivity. How will you consider these aspects when planning your community? Replace this block of text with your summary statement of your group’s general beliefs about inclusivity, then collectively answer the following…

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What is the general philosophy for how your community addresses conflict?

Here are some conflict resolution strategies to be aware of that are widely practiced in successful ecovillages and community projects. Fill out your group’s thoughts about each of these strategies. Is there one that you need to research more on? Select at least 2 methods…

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Offboarding Process

What rights does the community have over members who do not keep their side of agreements?

Example Onboarding Processes:

• Review after a set amount of time if community members are fulfilling their agreements, complete a formal review

• Implement a warning system

• Community Outerviews

• Community Vote

• Investments

How to say goodbye…

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Onboarding Process

What ways can you bring diversity into your community while maintaining alignment with its core essence?

Communities often have formal approaches, and at the same time they just feel it out. Individuals experience a gradual welcoming into deeper roles and responsibilities based on how much they show up and invest in…

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In governance, your first duty is to cultivate human relationships. Before you can create agreements, solid rapport or bonding needs to occur.

Relationship building activities:

• Self to self

• Self-connection

• Journaling

• Meditation

• Alone time and introspection

Self to peer

• Peer relationship building / conflict resolution

• Authentic…

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Personal Regeneration

The inner work required to bravely reimagine life in a regenerative community is an intense undertaking. There is a risk of unconsciously repeating some of the same societal patterns you seek to restructure. A healthy community requires healthy individuals. Likewise, community commitment to personal growth is essential…

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Dimensions of Group Sustainability:

Consider where you align on these aspects of sustainability as a community.

Social

Shared Vision

Personal Regeneration

Interpersonal Relationships

Community Rules

Onboarding process

Offboarding process

Legal structure

Governance Structure of Choice

Communication & conflict resolution Methods of…

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When starting a regenerative neighborhood, it is important to establish clear agreements among founding members and members who join along the way. This ensures that the community operates in a sustainable, cooperative, and equitable manner. Agreements will minimize future conflict and promote clarity. The key to all agreements is that they…

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