Continuing on from Sustainable Communities and Neighborhoods, we find that the same principles also apply to households.

1) Water.  Each home must use rainwater harvesting as the primary water supply for individual use, excluding irrigation needs. The rain falls on the roof, so why not use it? This automatically brings about conservation because there is a limited but regular supply. An endless supply of municipal water brings about tremendous waste of resources, which in turn increases the coffers of the government or big business.

2) Agrarian.  Each home must have sufficient land associated with it to sustain the inhabitants needs for food, clothing, and shelter, even if some of those needs are met by bartering what is personally produced. This prevents laziness and lack of contribution. Contribution to a community is crucial for development of good personal character and for internal satisfaction. A social structure that allows zero contribution - or useless contribution - creates artificial dependencies and cripples the populace in the long term.

3) Density.  A home cannot have too many people, otherwise it becomes unsustainable. To obtain more water and food means increasing the size of the home and the amount of land, and each of these complicate matters. Too many people under one roof can reduce privacy to a degree that is unhealthy. Too much land around a home can create too large a barrier with neighbors and result in social problems.

4) Size.  A larger structure is more difficult to build and to maintain. We’re trying to simplify our lives, not complicate them unnecessarily. Shelter is secondary to food. We should expect to spend more time on the more valuable activities, and disrupting this balance creates personal and therefore social problems.

5) Building blocks.  The people residing in a home are the building blocks that create a home. People are the foundation of community. It does not matter if the people residing together in a house are technically a family or not as they must cooperate together and will form strong bonds. As each person gains personal strength from relationships in the home he or she contributes to the strength of the community - which in turn strengthens the home and the individual, and this cycle builds more and more.

6) Relationships.  Good relationships starts with a willingness to serve and help others. This includes other people, animals, the environment, everything. The result of this is that other people, animals, and the environment will also take care of you. When man becomes an aggressor and an exploiter he is acting against the natural order, and unlimited problems result.

Examples of Sustainability

A family in one of our communities chooses their residence based upon their neighbors, not upon the size of the house.  People are far more important than buildings. We would not want a huge house with a lot of unnecessary space - land is used for gardens and for nature, not for “keeping up with the Jones”. We want to live among other like-minded people and collectively form small groups within which we can work cooperatively in many ways.

Each village will produce the majority of it’s food.  The residents will be healthy by working cooperatively to produce their own vegetables, grains, nuts, fruits and other commodities. Gardening is a very healthy activity, both physically and emotionally. The residents of each neighborhood will work cooperatively in producing different types of food. 

Everything will be within walking distance. There is no need for gasoline-powered transportation because everything is within walking or bicycling distance. There are no car accidents because there won’t be any cars within a community, except when someone is moving in or out. The schools will be within easy walking distance even for small children. Modern transportation is one of the cornerstones of non-sustainability.

Communities should have a restaurant, guest house, and other educational and recreational facilities for residents and visitors, as well as an auditorium for various events and gatherings.   Social activity is also very important, as well as education. People need to interact with and inspire one another in favorable ways.

Communities should have many natural recreational facilities.  We need various gardens, parks and fields for picnics or different sports or events near our homes. Our children can play outside the house, because we’ll personally know all our neighbors. Each neighborhood has a central area encircled by the houses to provide a private group area and a safe place for children to play.

Sustainable Culture

Real culture is based on harmony with the earth, which in turn allows for society to be organized in a way that suits the needs of all types of people, and thus allows for everyone to make steady personal and spiritual progress throughout their lives. 

This is not accomplished externally by exploiting others, raping the earth, and collecting a stack of paper money, but internally by becoming spiritually satisfied through a harmonious and caring lifestyle. This generates a natural attitude of sharing and giving, rather than an attitude of hoarding and taking.

Without this, sustainability and permaculture have no meaning.

Next - (Community) Neighborhood Layout