What makes ecovillage communities more sustainable? A resource-based view of 70 well-established ecovillages globally

Bibliographic Data

ID17174673
AuthorsImran Rautan (0009-0005-0690-2579, Litvill Lessons Association , Shiv Vatika, Bagru, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 303007, corresponding author), Sivakumari Supramaniam (0000-0002-6047-8239, Faculty of Business, Higher College of Technology , Ras Al Khaimah), Hossein Nezakati (0000-0002-3144-0864, Northeastern State University), Stephen Thomas Homer (0000-0003-1349-1198, Yunus Social Business Centre, Sunway University , 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor)
Year2026
Publication date2026-03-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCommunity Development Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0010-3802 • E-ISSN: 1468-2656
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/cdj/bsag014
OpenAlexW7155943203
LanguageEN
References cited39

This research aims to understand what determines the long-term sustainability of ecovillages. To achieve the aim, the current research proposes the main research question: what types of resources enable ecovillages to be more sustainable? In this research, the sustainability of ecovillages is understood as the ability of ecovillage communities to fulfil their basic needs while maintaining a long-term balance among ecological integrity, economic fairness, social cohesion, and cultural relevance to thrive over time. To this end, seventy well-established ecovillages were selected from the Foundation for Intentional Community and Global Ecovillage Network platforms. The analysis of ecovillages was done by identifying their practices, and the collected data was analysed thematically. Findings revealed that ecovillages have eighty-seven tangible and intangible resources, categorized into environmental, community, communal economy, and cultural pillars. The key finding is that intangible resources, like participatory decision-making, shared vision, shared ownership, non-monetary transactions, social cohesion, and culture of sustainable living, were found to be more critical than physical assets for the long-term sustainability of ecovillages. This offers new insights into the resource-based view framework by showing that non-material factors play a more significant role, as compared to tangible resources. The practical implication is empowering emerging ecovillages by offering a detailed understanding of the more important practices of ecovillages, which play a vital role in their success

Citizen journalism · Foundation (evidence) · Participatory action research · Relevance (law) · Sustainability · Sustainable development · Collaborative and Sustainable Housing Initiatives · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability · Urban and Rural Development Challenges

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