An introduction to urban An introduction to urban ecovillages & the Los ecovillages & the Los Angeles Eco-VillageAngeles Eco-Village

““An urban ecovillage is a piece of the ecological city.”An urban ecovillage is a piece of the ecological city.”

- - ArchitectArchitect Paul Downton of Urban Ecology Australia at the First Paul Downton of Urban Ecology Australia at the First International Eco-Cities Conference, Berkeley California 1990International Eco-Cities Conference, Berkeley California 1990

CRSP Institute for Urban Ecovillages at the Los Angeles Eco-Village

ECOVILLAGESECOVILLAGES

Human scaleHuman scale Full featuredFull featured Harmlessly integrates human activities into the Harmlessly integrates human activities into the

natural worldnatural world Supports healthy human developmentSupports healthy human development Can be successfully continued into the Can be successfully continued into the

indefinite futureindefinite future Has multiple centers of initiativeHas multiple centers of initiative

Six components define an “ecovillage”

Welcome to Los Angeles Eco-VillageWelcome to Los Angeles Eco-Village

Reinventing how we live in cities for aLower environmental impact with a

Higher quality of life at aLower cost of living

Affiliated with the Ecovillage Network of the Americas andGEN, the Global Ecovillage Network

Formula for SuccessFormula for Success

Vision Vision

Planning with flexibilityPlanning with flexibility

GroundednessGroundedness

PerseverancePerseverance

Existing

Los Angeles Eco-VillageExisting Condiitons

Bimini Baths: 1901 - 1951

Bimini Baths 1901 – 1951from hot mineral springs

2,000 feet below

Adjacent Buildings owned by nonprofit Los Angeles Eco-Village Sponsor: CRSP

40 unit apartment building

8 unit apartment building

Intentional Community

•Los Angeles Eco-Village Intentional Community

Celebrate & include joy in all our endeavors. Learn from nature and live Celebrate & include joy in all our endeavors. Learn from nature and live ecologically.ecologically.

Take responsibility for each other & the planet through local environmental & Take responsibility for each other & the planet through local environmental & social action.social action.

Learn from nature and live ecologically.Learn from nature and live ecologically.

Build a dynamic community through diversity & cooperation.Build a dynamic community through diversity & cooperation.

Inspire compassionate, nurturing, & respectful relationships.Inspire compassionate, nurturing, & respectful relationships.

Create balanced opportunities for individual participation & collective Create balanced opportunities for individual participation & collective stewardship.stewardship.

Engage our neighbors and broader communities in mutual dialogue to learn, Engage our neighbors and broader communities in mutual dialogue to learn, teach, and act.teach, and act.

LOS ANGELES ECO-VILLAGE LOS ANGELES ECO-VILLAGE CORE VALUESCORE VALUES

500 foot streambed sinks 500 foot streambed sinks stormwater at Bimini Slough stormwater at Bimini Slough

Ecology ParkEcology Park

Alcohol drug recovery home

Bresee youth center, neighborhood Computer center, and heath clinic,

Bimini Slough Ecology Park adjacent to Bresee. A “slough” is a seasonal wetland

A School Rich NeighborhoodA School Rich Neighborhoodfor sinking more stormwaterfor sinking more stormwater

Virgil Middle School: 2,000 kids each day; 2,000 adults each night.

New school for 1,000 children grades 1 - 5

Kindergarten school for 250

First Fruit Tree Planting – Earthday 1993

Getting started: Getting started: working with working with children & the children & the kindergarten kindergarten schoolschool

City Repair Project: transforming our intersection designed for cars into

a plaza created for people

And permeable pavement has just been installed on the sidewalks.

Using the Plaza: City-wide EcoMaya Festival 3,000 attended

Using the plaza: a neighborhood block party

CarSolar Poweredstage

SmallKidsPlay area

NeighborsBrought freeFood to share

Car retraining in the plaza!“please go around us”

Permanently Affordable Housing -Permanently Affordable Housing -Transition from simple Transition from simple nonprofit ownershipnonprofit ownership to: to:

A COMMUNITY A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST LAND TRUST

Land under two Land under two currently owned currently owned nonprofit apt. nonprofit apt. buildings will go into a buildings will go into a community land trust community land trust with a 99 year lease. with a 99 year lease. The land trust will The land trust will also serve the larger also serve the larger neighborhood. neighborhood.

A LIMITED EQUITYA LIMITED EQUITYHOUSINGHOUSING

COOPERATIVECOOPERATIVE

Apartment buildings will be Apartment buildings will be sold to resident sold to resident ownership group as a ownership group as a limited equity housing limited equity housing cooperative. cooperative. Appreciation of property Appreciation of property is limited by state law.is limited by state law.

Dedicated Community Spaces in the current Dedicated Community Spaces in the current nonprofit owned Eco-Village housingnonprofit owned Eco-Village housing

Bimini Slough Ecology Park cleans storm water. It used to be an ugly street.

Shared Street Shared Street DemonstrationDemonstrationOVERALL GOALSOVERALL GOALS More pedestrian More pedestrian

friendly streetfriendly street Reduce auto Reduce auto

dependency & dependency & traffictraffic

Encourage more Encourage more use of public transituse of public transit

Beautify Beautify neighborhoodneighborhood

Funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority & the

City of Los Angeles at $250,000

SAMPLING OF ADDITIONAL GOALS

Permeable pavement demonstration Fruit and nut trees, food forest More mini parks Public gathering spaces Space for small business kiosks Rainwater collection Public art by neighborhood artists Friendly street furniture Neighbors’ participation in development

Gardens: a permaculture approach

Compost pit

North Building Water North Building Water Infiltration SystemInfiltration System

ProblemProblem Surface was pavedSurface was paved Roof water run-off to storm Roof water run-off to storm

drain and directly to ocean.drain and directly to ocean. Water lost; ocean pollutedWater lost; ocean polluted

SolutionSolution Eco-Villager planned a Eco-Villager planned a

permeable surface & native permeable surface & native landscapelandscape

Volunteer community work Volunteer community work parties implemented planparties implemented plan

Removed concrete and used Removed concrete and used it for a retaining wallit for a retaining wall

Reclaimed several truck Reclaimed several truck loads of local mulch to loads of local mulch to create a micro-watershedcreate a micro-watershed

Roof water goes back to Roof water goes back to water table.water table.

Retrofitting Apartment Buildings

Policies• Use local, recycled

content materials• Use least polluting, least

toxic materials• Create local livelihood• Empower & train

residents to make informed consensus decisions.

Ten years later, here are a few results:

Double glazed french doors from sustainably harvested red maple.

More retrofitting of apartment buildings

Energy: About those cars: they are increasing Energy: About those cars: they are increasing

six times faster than the number of people!six times faster than the number of people!

Energy: solar, insulation, Energy: solar, insulation, windows, appliances, windows, appliances, conservationconservation

off to work – saving energy

Multiple Centers of InitiativeMultiple Centers of Initiative

Bicycle Kitchen

Preparing for aWeaving workshop

Eco-Villagers earn someof their livelihood doing rehab

work “at home.”

More centers of initiative

And still more And still more initiativesinitiatives

Other Major Projects of CRSP, the Other Major Projects of CRSP, the nonprofit sponsor of Los Angeles nonprofit sponsor of Los Angeles Eco-VillageEco-VillageThe Institute for Urban The Institute for Urban

Ecovillages: Ecovillages: provides training provides training contracts with some contracts with some

Eco-Villagers for Eco-Villagers for training servicestraining services

Expands public Expands public awareness about awareness about urban sustainable urban sustainable livingliving

The Ecological The Ecological Revolving Loan Fund:Revolving Loan Fund:

borrows money from borrows money from friends at competitive friends at competitive interest rates to buy interest rates to buy local propertieslocal properties

Plans to use equity Plans to use equity from two apartment from two apartment buildings to leverage buildings to leverage additional borrowing additional borrowing for new development for new development in Eco-Villagein Eco-Village

A few of the social aspects A few of the social aspects of Los Angeles Eco-Villageof Los Angeles Eco-Village

DIVERSITYDIVERSITY

EthnicEthnic IncomeIncome GenerationalGenerational GenderGender Sexual orientationSexual orientation HouseholdHousehold compositioncomposition

Intentional Community meets weekly and makes decisions by consensus. Trainings

held several times each year.

Eco-Villagers share meals several times each week

Advice to new start-up Advice to new start-up groups:groups:Avoid structural conflict Avoid structural conflict

Advice from Diana Leafe Christian, author of Advice from Diana Leafe Christian, author of Creating a Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools for Creating Ecovillages Life Together: Practical Tools for Creating Ecovillages and Intentional Communitiesand Intentional Communities

Clearly Identify your community vision & purposeClearly Identify your community vision & purpose Choose a fair, participatory decision-making process Choose a fair, participatory decision-making process

& get training in it.& get training in it. Be clear on your membership criteriaBe clear on your membership criteria Make clear agreements in writingMake clear agreements in writing Learn good communication and group process skills.Learn good communication and group process skills. Make resolving conflicts a priority.Make resolving conflicts a priority.

LAEV has its strugglesLAEV has its struggles

L.A. Unified School District prepares toinstall a parking lot for 137 cars in the heart of LA Eco-Village!

And our triumphs And our triumphs

City Council PresidentEric Garcetti dedicatesrecently completedShared Street Project in L.A. Eco-Village: Widened sidewalks, narrowed streets, macademia trees.Phase 1 of becoming a car-free street!

And instead of a parking lot, And instead of a parking lot, we propose a green mixed use we propose a green mixed use car free development:car free development:

50 affordable cohousing units50 affordable cohousing units Year round indoor pool with restored Year round indoor pool with restored

Bimini Baths hotsprings from under streetBimini Baths hotsprings from under street Geothermal heating plus living machine Geothermal heating plus living machine

educational facilityeducational facility Green roof, edible landscapeGreen roof, edible landscape LEED-Neighborhood Development LEED-Neighborhood Development

Platinum ratingPlatinum rating

Los Angeles Eco-VillageLos Angeles Eco-VillageA project of CRSP A project of CRSP

A nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization Committed to small ecological Committed to small ecological

Urban cooperative communitiesUrban cooperative communitieswww.laecovillage.orgwww.laecovillage.org

Affiliated with Affiliated with GEN, GEN,

the Global Ecovillage Network andthe Global Ecovillage Network and ENA, ENA,

the Ecovillage Network of the Americasthe Ecovillage Network of the Americas