Quantifying the environmental impact of ecovillages and co-housing communities: a systematic literature review

Local Environment

Volumn 22, Issue 11, 2017, Pages 1358-1377

  Daly, Matthew ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY   (Australia)

Author keywords

carbon footprint; co housing; ecological footprint; ecovillage; Intentional community

Indexed keywords

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT; HOUSING ASSOCIATION; LITERATURE REVIEW; LOCAL PLANNING; RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY; SUSTAINABILITY;

EID: 85023195377     PISSN: 13549839     EISSN: 14696711     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/13549839.2017.1348342     Document Type: Review

References (78)

1. Assadourian, E., 2008. Engaging communities for a sustainable world. In: L., Starke, ed. State of the world 2008: innovations for a sustainable economy. New York: W. W. Norton, 151–165.
2. Barrett, J., et al., 2005. Exploring the application of the ecological footprint to sustainable consumption policy. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 7 (4), 303–316. doi: 10.1080/15239080500441095
3. Bech-Danielsen, C., Hansen, J.S., and Jensen, O., 1997. Økologisk byggeri i de Nordiske lande. Copenhagen: Nordisk Ministerråd.
4. Bissolotti, P.M.A., Santiago, A.G., and De Oliveira, R., 2006. Sustainability evaluation in ecovillages. In: PLEA2006 - the 23rd conference on passive and low energy architecture. Geneva, Switzerland.
5. Blay-Palmer, A., 2011. Sustainable communities, an introduction. Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability, 16 (8), 747–752. doi: 10.1080/13549839.2011.613235
6. Boyer, R.H.W., 2013. Transitioning to sustainable urban development: a niche-based approach. Thesis (PhD). University of Illinois.
7. Brecher, W.P., 2013. Sustainability as community healing in a Japanese ecovillage. Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies, 13 (3). Available from: http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/ejcjs/vol13/iss3/brecher.html [Accessed 17 April 2015].
8. Brown, J., 2004. Comparative analysis of energy consumption trends in co-housing and alternate housing arrangements. Thesis (Masters). Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
9. CAUS, 2014. What is cohousing? [Online]. The Cohousing Association of the United States. Available from: http://www.cohousing.org/what_is_cohousing [Accessed 28 April 2015].
10. Chambers, N., Simmons, C., and Wackernagel, M., 2000. Sharing nature’s interest: ecological footprints as an indicator of sustainability. London: Earthscan.
11. Cloughjordan Ecovillage, 2014. Ecovillage has an ecological footprint of 2 global hectares [online]. Cloughjordan, Ireland. Available from: http://www.thevillage.ie/ecovillage-has-an-ecological-footprint-of-2-global-hectares/ [Accessed 5 August 2014].
12. Čuček, L., Klemeš, J.J., and Kravanja, Z., 2012. A review of footprint analysis tools for monitoring impacts on sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 34, 9–20. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.02.036
13. Druckman, A., and Jackson, T., 2010. The bare necessities: how much household carbon do we really need? Ecological Economics, 69 (9), 1794–1804. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.04.018
14. Ergas, C., 2010. A model of sustainable living: collective identity in an urban ecovillage. Organization & Environment, 23 (1), 32–54. doi: 10.1177/1086026609360324
15. FIC, 2015. Welcome to the fellowship for intentional communities [Online]. Fellowship for intentional communities. Available from: http://www.ic.org/ [Accessed 20 May 2015].
16. Foldager, I., and Dyck-Madsen, S., 2002. Munksøgård–Erfaringer og anbefalinger. Copenhagen: Det Økologiske Råd.
17. GEN, 2013. GEN–international annual report 2013. Forres: GEN International.
18. GEN, 2015. What is an ecovillage [Online]. Global Ecovillage Network. Available from: https://ecovillage.org/projects/what-is-an-ecovillage/ [Accessed 28 April 2015].
19. Giratalla, W., 2010. Assessing the environmental practices and impacts of intentional communities: an ecological footprint comparison of an ecovillage and cohousing community in southwestern British Columbia. Thesis (Masters). The University of Alberta.
20. Haraldsson, H. V., Ranhagen, U., and Sverdrup, H., 2001. Is eco-living more sustainable than conventional living? Comparing sustainability performances between two townships in southern Sweden. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 44 (5), 663–679. doi: 10.1080/09640560120079966
21. Hargreaves, T., 2011. Practice-ing behaviour change: applying social practice theory to pro-environmental behaviour change. Journal of Consumer Culture, 11 (1), 79–99. doi: 10.1177/1469540510390500
22. Harmaajarvi, I., 2000. Ecobalance model for assessing sustainability in residential areas and relevant case studies in Finland. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 20, 373–380. doi: 10.1016/S0195-9255(00)00048-2
23. Hertwich, E.G., and Peters, G.P., 2009. Carbon footprint of nations: a global, trade-linked analysis. Environmental Science & Technology, 43 (16), 6414–6420. doi: 10.1021/es803496a
24. Hodge, J., and Haltrecht, J., 2009. BedZED seven years on–the impact of the UK’s best known eco-village and its residents, Surrey, UK. Available from: http://www.bioregional.com/news-views/publications/bedzed-seven-years-on/ [Accessed 8 September 2014].
25. Hunter, C., Carmichael, K., and Pangbourne, K., 2006. Household ecological footprinting using a new diary-based data-gathering approach. Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability, 11 (3), 307–327. doi: 10.1080/13549830600558804
26. Hurley, J., Horne, R., and Grant, T., 2007. Ecological footprint as an assessment tool for Urban development. In: State of Australian cities conference. Adelaide: University of South Australia, Adelaide, November, 922–931.
27. Irrgang, B., 2005. A study of the efficiency and potential of the eco-village as an alternative urban model. Thesis (Masters). University of Stellenbosch.
28. Jackson, T., 2005. Motivating sustainable consumption: a review of evidence on consumer behaviour and behavioural change. London: A Report to the Sustainable Development Research Network.
29. Jackson, T., 2009. Prosperity without growth?: The transition to a sustainable economy. United Kingdom. Available from: http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=914.
30. Jarvis, H., 2011. Saving space, sharing time: integrated infrastructures of daily life in cohousing. Environment and Planning A, 43 (3), 560–577. doi: 10.1068/a43296
31. Klinsky, S., Sieber, R., and Meredith, T., 2009. Creating local ecological footprints in a North American context. Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability, 14 (6), 495–513. doi: 10.1080/13549830902903823
32. Knight, W., 2008. The ecological footprint of Steward Community Woodland. Cornwall, United Kingdom: 4th World Ecological Design. Available from: http://www.stewardwood.org/pdf/03_ecological_footprint.pdf.
33. Kristensen, L., et al., 2010. Erfaring sopfølgning på lavenergibyggeri klasse 1 og 2: Med “Fremtidens Parcelhuse” som eksempel. Køge. Denmark: Det Grønne Hus.
34. Kunze, I., 2012. Social innovations for communal and ecological living: lessons from sustainability research and observations in intentional communities. Communal Societies: Journal of the Communal Studies Association, 32 (1), 50–67.
35. Lammas Ecovillage, 2011a. Annual monitoring report for Tir y Gafel Ecovillage. Tir Y Gafel: Lammas Ecovillage. Available from: www.lammas.org.uk.
36. Lammas Ecovillage, 2011b. Annual monitoring report for Tir y Gafel Ecovillage August 2009–January 2011. Tir y Gafel: Lammas Ecovillage. Available from: www.lammas.org.uk.
37. Lammas Ecovillage, 2012. Annual monitoring report for Tir y Gafel Ecovillage. Tir y Gafel: Lammas Ecovillage. Available from: www.lammas.org.uk.
38. Lammas Ecovillage, 2013. Annual monitoring report for Tir y gafel ecovillage. Tir y Gafel: Lammas Ecovillage. Available from: www.lammas.org.uk.
39. Lammas Ecovillage, 2014. Annual monitoring report for Tir y Gafel Ecovillage. Tir y Gafel: Lammas Ecovillage. Available from: www.lammas.org.uk.
40. Lánczi, D.C., 2009. Practice of sustainability in an eco village: ecological footprint of Krishna Valley in Hungary. Thesis (Masters). Eötvös Lóránd University.
41. Lenzen, M., and Murray, S.A., 2001. A modified ecological footprint method and its application to Australia. Ecological Economics, 37, 229–255. doi: 10.1016/S0921-8009(00)00275-5
42. Lietaert, M., 2010. Cohousing’s relevance to degrowth theories. Journal of Cleaner Production, 18 (6), 576–580. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2009.11.016
43. Lockyer, J., 2010. Intentional communities and sustainability. Communal Societies: Journal of the Communal Studies Association, 30 (1), 17–30.
44. Maniates, M.F., 2001. Individualization: plant a tree, buy a bike, save the world? Global Environmental Politics, 1 (August), 31–52. doi: 10.1162/152638001316881395
45. Marckmann, B., Gram-Hanssen, K., and Christensen, T.H., 2012. Sustainable living and co-housing: evidence from a case study of eco-villages. Built Environment, 38 (3), 413–429. doi: 10.2148/benv.38.3.413
46. Meltzer, G., 2005. Sustainable community: learning from the cohousing model. Victoria, BC: Trafford Publishing.
47. Metcalf, B., 2001. Sustainable communal living around the globe. In: Diggers and dreamers 00/01. London: D&D Publications, 5–19.
48. Metcalf, B., 2004. The findhorn book of community living. Findhorn: Findhorn Press.
49. Metcalf, B., 2012. Utopian struggle: preconceptions and realities of intentional communities. In: M., Andreas and F., Wagner, eds. Realizing Utopia: ecovillage endeavours and academic approaches. Munich: Rachel Carson Centre, 21–28.
50. Middlemiss, L., 2011. The effects of community-based action for sustainability on participants’ lifestyles. Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability, 16 (3), 265–280. doi: 10.1080/13549839.2011.566850
51. Minx, J., et al., 2009. Input–output analysis and carbon footprinting: an overview of applications. Economic Systems Research, 21 (3), 187–216. doi: 10.1080/09535310903541298
52. Moffatt, I., 2000. Ecological footprints and sustainable development. Ecological Economics, 32, 359–362. doi: 10.1016/S0921-8009(99)00154-8
53. Moos, M., et al., 2006. Does design matter? The ecological footprint as a planning tool at the local level. Journal of Urban Design, 11 (2), 195–224. doi: 10.1080/13574800600644381
54. Pöyry Energy Consulting, 2009. Project report: CO2 emissions in eco-societies. Copenhagen: Pöyry Energy Consulting. Available from: http://voresomstilling.dk/.
55. Princen, T., Maniates, M., and Conca, K., 2002. Confronting consumption. In: T., Princen, M., Maniates, and K., Conca, eds. Confronting consumption. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1–20.
56. Rees, W.E., 2008. Human nature, eco-footprints and environmental injustice. Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability, 13 (8), 685–701. doi: 10.1080/13549830802475609
57. Rockström, J., et al., 2009. Planetary boundaries: exploring the safe operating space for humanity. Ecology and Society, 14 (2), 32–64. doi: 10.5751/ES-03180-140232
58. Samuelsson, L., 2001. Munksøgårds grønne regnskab. Roskilde: Munksøgårds.
59. Seyfang, G., and Haxeltine, A., 2012. Growing grassroots innovations: exploring the role of community-based initiatives in governing sustainable energy transitions. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 30 (3), 381–400. doi: 10.1068/c10222
60. Seyfang, G., and Smith, A., 2007. Grassroots innovations for sustainable development: towards a new research and policy agenda. Environmental Politics, 16 (4), 584–603. doi: 10.1080/09644010701419121
61. Sherry, J., 2014. Community supported sustainability: how ecovillages model more sustainable community. Rutgers: The State University of New Jersey. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.7282/T3959FVM.
62. Shove, E., Pantzar, M., and Watson, M., 2012. The dynamics of social practice: everyday life and how it changes. London: Sage.
63. Simmons, C., Lewis, K., and Barrett, J., 2000. Two feet–two approaches: a component-based model of ecological footprinting. Ecological Economics, 32, 375–380. doi: 10.1016/S0921-8009(99)00158-5
64. Simon, K., et al., 2004. Zusammenfassender Endbericht zum Vorhaben–Gemeinschaftliche Lebens- und Wirt- schaftsweisen und ihre Umweltrelevanz. Kassel: Universität Kassel.
65. Singh, R.K., et al., 2009. An overview of sustainability assessment methodologies. Ecological Indicators, 9 (2), 189–212. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2008.05.011
66. Sirna, T., 2013. Cutting our carbon footprint: how Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage’s footprint compares to America’s footprint [Online]. Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. http://www.dancingrabbit.org/about-dancing-rabbit-ecovillage/eco-living/cutting-our-carbon-footprint/ [Accessed 14 April 2014].
67. Smith, A., and Seyfang, G., 2013. Constructing grassroots innovations for sustainability. Global Environmental Change, 23 (5), 827–829. doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.07.003
68. Spangenberg, J.H., and Lorek, S., 2002. Environmentally sustainable household consumption: from aggregate environmental pressures to priority fields of action. Ecological Economics, 43, 127–140. doi: 10.1016/S0921-8009(02)00212-4
69. Stafford Smith, M., and Brito, L., 2012. State of the planet declaration. London: Planet Under Pressure Conference. Available from: http://www.planetunderpressure2012.net/pdf/state_of_planet_declaration.pdf.
70. Steffen, W., Crutzen, J., and McNeill, J.R., 2007. The Anthropocene: are humans now overwhelming the great forces of nature? Ambio, 36 (8), 614–621. doi: 10.1579/0044-7447(2007)36[614:TAAHNO]2.0.CO;2
71. Sundberg, F., 2014. Cohousing and resource use: a case study of the Färdknäppen cohouse. Thesis (Masters). KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
72. Tinsley, S., and George, H., 2006. Ecological footprint of the findhorn foundation and community report. Forres: Sustainable Development Research Centre.
73. Wagner, F., 2012. Ecovillage research review. In: M., Andreas and F., Wagner, eds. Realizing Utopia: ecovillage endeavours and academic approaches. Munich: Rachel Carson Centre, 81–94.
74. Wiedmann, T., and Barrett, J., 2010. A review of the ecological footprint indicator–perceptions and methods. Sustainability, 2 (6), 1645–1693. doi: 10.3390/su2061645
75. Wiedmann, T., and Minx, J., 2008. A definition of “carbon footprint”. In: C.C., Pertsova, ed. Ecological economics research trends. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers, 1–11.
76. Williams, J., 2005. Sun, surf and sustainable experience sun, surf and sustainable housing–cohousing, the californian experience. International Planning Studies, 10 (2), 145–177. doi: 10.1080/13563470500258824
77. Williams, J., 2008. Predicting an American future for cohousing. Futures, 40 (3), 268–286. doi: 10.1016/j.futures.2007.08.022
78. WWF, 2014. Living planet report 2014. Edited by R. McLellan et al. Gland, Switzerland: WWF International.