PowerSwitch

I'm finding it quite interesting that the sort of ideas being presented on this site for sustainable communities are so free from the usual utopian/marxist/anarchist dogmas that appear pretty much everywhere else that such things are discussed. Some people think of technocracy as utopian but I would...

Right now I'm most concerned with finding pivotal issues to keep such communities in as chaordic states as possible balancing just between chaos and order. Chaordic organisations are by far the most robust and adaptable which can be found and virtually impossible to conquer since there is no center...

How about a Community Land Trust?

Building a perfect society wont work but a groups of communities networked together could. Agree completely! Im tinkering quite a lot with various designs along these lines. I would like to add a couple of components to such a community network: *A mutual-credit system as suggested by Edwin Riegel ...

Buying a wedge of Devon or Scotland seems to me to be a bit utopian. And what is wrong with a bit Utopian? :wink: Actually, it depends what you mean. Building a perfect society wont work but a groups of communities networked together could. That, I think, is the way to go. Each community itself woul...

I'd really like to live in a community but are they all going to be in Scotland Devon and Wales? There are so many great people with these kind of views (community not necessarily PO - yet) living here in Brighton and I'd like to think it would be possible to create an intentional community round h...

Hi All. Well, I think we all agree there's going to be a seismic change within the next few years. But how big that change will be is difficult to foresee. From my own readings and instincts I don't think we'll be seeing a swift descent into medieval existence. The powers that be are well aware of t...

I believe a typical route for people who want to build an intentional community and can raise a bit of cash is to buy land with an old ramshackle farmhouse on it and either renovate or rebuild or extend the existing buildings. The presence of a farmhouse makes getting planning permission much easier...

I'd really like to live in a community, but are they all going to be in Scotland, Devon and Wales? Or northern ireland? *stares around hopefully* Communities will be vulnerable unless they have a sufficiently large population (and enough guns to defend themselves) Plenty of guns around here.. I don...

Everybody's situation is different. I think that what we, as a 'On Line Community' should concentrate on is sharing ideas and solutions. Buying a wedge of Devon or Scotland seems to me to be a bit utopian. But if someone could design a Sterling Engine that could sit on top of a wood burning stove an...

One thing you need to consider when you're buying your land, I think you'll need planning permission to build any type of dwelling on it. My friend who works within the town planning department of a large city council in England, tells me it's quite difficult to get permission to build housing on gr...

murpen: an advantage of setting up a limited company to invest in could be, we could fill in the end of year PAYE return (simple since no-one will be taking any salaries) online and the Inland Revenue will pay you to fill in the end of year returns online for the next few years- a total of ?575. Nic...

I would like to know where Reuben Woods has been reading about government seizing our land" post peak. Looking around the web prices for farmland sure seem higher than his quotes and from mrkinnies' remark it could be better to buy a lot of land near a small convenient community rather than a s...

There is more information on that roundhouse on their website. Tony Wrench built it for around ?3000, and also wrote a small (and very nice book) on the subject, it is available from him direct (see the website above) or through normal channel. It's a great wee book, detailing materials construction...

Oooh! Guest was me on that nearly last post as I connected from the front page