This section covers the major elements of a VillageTown and the process to build it. It is supplementary to the three books (Life Liberty Happiness, How to Build a Village and Villagetowns- the Next Step). We also recommend Christopher Alexander's A Pattern Language.

Characteristics of a VillageTown

What is a VillageTown? (To go to the page that discusses each answer, click on the question or the statement.)

What are its non-negotiable aspects?

No cars within 
Immediate "Historic district" designation
Variable width, but narrow streets, non-combustible buildings (IBC Class IIa)
Minimum population required, maximum population limit

Purpose

Economic Foundation
Conviviality
Citizenship
Artistic & Intellectual Growth
Spiritual Development and Fulfillment

Three types:

Rural-greenfield
Suburban-greenfield
Urban-brownfield

The Local Economy

  • 80/20 Money Turn
  • Telepresence
  • Local Business and Services
  • The Industrial Park
  • Local investing and local business support
  • Mortgage Financing and the VillageTown bank

Conviviality

  • The role of the village plazas with cafes, taverns, alfresco dining, performance halls, entertainment
  • The effect of car-free urban center
  • The greenbelt parts set aside for sport and outdoor activity

Citizenship

  • Definition - Sustainability is a subset of of Citizenship
  • Definition - taking care of others... children, youth, elders, the weak and infirm
  • Definition - getting along with each other, use design not rules
  • Community-owned Governance
  • Community-owned For-profit ventures
  • Intranet Democracy

Art and Intellect

Spiritual

  • Individual and Shared - the boundary between private and public
  • Religion not the role of the VillageTown
  • Sacred space (sacred buildings and sacred outdoor space) is the role of the VillageTown
  • Churches, the cathedral (terms used generically), the cemetery, sacred fields and woods.

The process of creating a VillageTown

  • The principles
  • People first, then the locale and finally the land.
  • Purchasing power
  • Authenticity and character
  • Three stages of development
  • The Roles of the Village Forum and the Village Organizing Companies
  • The Village Coordinators set the vision
  • Dynamic Engagement Planning
  • Large scale production tooling
  • Building materials and methods
  • Standards of sustainable development