Communal Living now and in the aftermath

[MaryN]

A little while ago BP mentioned a site called Diggers and Dreamers. I popped in to have a look at it out of mild interest. It was a little New Agey (peace man!), but interesting, and I spent a bit of time reading through the postings.

What did surprise me was the number of postings from quite young people who were interested in communal living or just trying to find a new way of relating to things. At a time when you could have expected them to be awash with iPhones, iPads and whathaveyou, they were asking about crafts, horticulture, permaculture and all sorts of related subjects. Could it be that people really are beginning to grow tired of the mass materialism and want a simpler way of life; perhaps something with more meaning? Could this possibly be a way of avoiding the looming disasters of modern life? I really don't know, but I did wonder, have any of the younger members of this Forum (or anyone really), thought about the potential benefits of living communally? I could see the benefits of a strong, supportive community, particularly for the more vulnerable members, and this would probably hold firm after an disaster scenario. I realise that for some people communal living would not be a desirable option (I strongly suspect BP has Viking ancestry and would prefer to be the strong silent type), but would having the community in place before the event, so that the organisation would already be there, be preferable?

I don't know. I'm not sure it would be for me; I'm far too bloody-minded and not great at taking orders, but for others??

[Mortblanc]

I lived near a large and well respected communal farm for most of my adult life.

I watched their evolution through all its stages to reach the self supporting/sustaining system that exists today.

It was a journey that many could observe and save themselves the grief of reinventing the wheel.

The first and most intelligent action these people made was making themselves a valuable asset to the local community through medical, health and healthy food outreach programs.

I must also point out that they would not be allowed to establish their community today as they did in the 1970s
due to universal zoning restrictions that would prevent them building homes without proper wiring, water and sanitation systems. neither could they raise their children in the original conditions based on child welfare laws that now make it illegal to house a child in a structure without running water, sewer systems or electricity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farm_(Tennessee)

[bigpaul]

most of these sorts of set ups will not be allowed in the 21st Century, at the very least they have to have a "business plan" and a limited amount of permission to remain, usually around 5 years to see if they can make a profit out of it, one local councillor when discussing a local one said "we cant have them ####ting in the woods in the 20th Century"...they have compost toilets! so the planners are very much against anything like this from the offset.

[CovertRunning]

In the USA I can tell you for nothing I know folk raising kids in such places and no issues whatsoever. This is west of the Mississippi River where things are a bit more common-sense though.

[bigpaul]

we have to have planning permission for just about everything in the UK these days and the county councils done like anything remotely "alternative" or self sufficient. about the only ones who do get it have pet lawyers.

[Steve]

There are a few communities in West Wales, the councils have written special rules for low impact housing.

[bigpaul]

yes I think different rules apply in Wales.