Page 12 - C.A.L.L. #27 - Summer 2006

KALEIDOSCOPE

Geoph Kozeny on his part wondered, also in Communities #129 of Winter 2005, how many intentional
communities are urban, rural or somewhere in between. Having speculated initially on a fifty/fifty split, he
found out that in North America the figures are about 40% urban and suburban communities. Kozeny
frankly admits having a preference for rural living, although he also enjoys visiting city groups because they,
too, have a lot to offer.

THE PERIPATETIC COMMUNITARIAN

The Urban / Rural Spectrum
BY GEOPH KOZENY

Most traits occur on a continuum from urban to rural, with the suburbs and small towns falling somewhere
between. For example, the more rural the group, the farther apart the houses and community spaces - the most
common exception being rural ecovillages which tend to cluster their buildings to leave more open space for

agriculture, woods, conservation, and recreation. Even then, compared to
When you are bigger… at the moment
their more urban contemporaries, they tend to be further isolated from their just milk
nearest neighbors outside the community.
Can I

have
Similarly, the rural groups usually enjoy cleaner air, and less noise pollution
coffee
(except when tractors or chainsaws are fired up, or when construction and milk?
projects are underway). The deep country quiet is especially inspiring at
night in the winter, and in the summer the nocturnal sounds of insects,
coyotes, and hoot owls can keep a city visitor awake for many hours-while
the city's background noise of passing trucks and car alarms often has a
similar effect on visitors from the farm. And with low levels of light pollution,
on a clear night the rural skies are amazing to behold.

Country kids typically can run around outside and far afield with very little adult supervision, while in the city a
tighter rein is usually advisable. Country folks are far more likely to leave the doors unlocked (if they have locks at

all) and the keys in the ignition. A fortunate recent trend is that many of the cohousing communities are
contained enough that they can also enjoy some of this freedom from worry.

Being more spread out and farther from things in general, people living in rural communities tend to interact more
with their fellow community members than do their urban counterparts. A couple of major exceptions to this are
the smaller urban collectives where everyone lives under the same roof-sharing meals, bathrooms, and common
spaces-and those communities such as Ganas, Goodenough, and Zendik which emphasize everyday interactions
and conversations as a central part of their culture.

By now you've probably guessed that I have a preference for rural living, which is true; however I also enjoy
visiting city groups because they, too, have a lot to offer. For example, the hardware store is only minutes away,
instead of miles, and there are hundreds of amenities near at hand such as bookstores, jazz clubs, museums, and
all-night cafes. Being in a population center means there are far more potential customers for a community-owned
business. And I've know a lot of folks who moved back to the city from the country because they just weren't
meeting enough people of their age group or with shared interests.

Reprinted with permission from Communities magazine, a quarterly publication about intentional communities and
cooperative living in North America. Sample US$6; subscription US$20.00. store.ic.org.

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