This article is an attempt to identify as complete a checklist as possible of needs, wants, and aspirational goals for establishing a sustainable intergenerational village, neighborhood, or other residential community. This article is expected to be updated as omissions or improvements are discovered. As it grows, it might be broken into multiple articles.
Needs
This section comprises factors without which the “village” cannot survive. While many of us would like the self-sufficiency of providing these entirely from within our communities, that is not always possible. Sourcing these needs from municipal governments or unaffiliated businesses is a valid solution. Needs are considered “checked off” (satisfied) if they are reliably accessed by all of the village’s residents. Bullet points in bold are critical, make-or-break needs. Those in normal text are important sub-needs. Entries in italics are notes for discussion rather than needs in and of themselves.
- Shelter
- Land sufficient for the housing
- Appropriate permits, etc.
- Skill – Free carpentry / joinery
- Skill – Free masonry
- Tools
- Equipment
- Materials and supplies
- Roof to keep off precipitation and sun
- Skill – Roofing
- Equipment – Tools, ladders, etc.
- Roofing materials and supplies
- Warmth in winter
- Skill – HVAC
- Skill – Fireplace / chimney masonry
- Skill – Fireplace / woodstove operation
- Equipment – Heater, woodstove, etc.
- Tools
- Heating materials and supplies
- Energy source
- How do members of your community power their heating?
- Biomass – Wood, etc.
- Fossil fuels – Gas, oil, coal, etc.
- Alternative energy
- How do members of your community power their heating?
- Cooling in summer
- Skill – HVAC
- Skill – Electrician
- Equipment – Fans, air conditioners, etc.
- Tools
- Heating materials and supplies
- Energy source
- How do members of your community power their cooling?
- Biomass – Wood, etc.
- Fossil fuels – Gas, oil, coal, etc.
- Alternative energy
- How do members of your community power their cooling?
- Security from violence, predators, pests, and theft
- Sleeping facilities
- Water
- Potable, clean drinking water
- Irrigation water for crops, etc.
- Skill – Plumbing
- Equipment – Tools, pumps, filters, etc.
- Pipes and fittings
- Appropriate storage facilities
- Sanitation
- Toilet facilities
- Grooming facilities
- Bathing facilities
- Wastewater treatment
- Sewage quarantining and processing
- What is your solution?
- Central sewage processing
- Skill – Responsible toilet use
- Septic systems (on-site)
- Skill – Responsible septic system use
- Alternative toilets (on-site)
- Skill – Proper use
- Central sewage processing
- What is your solution?
- Greywater processing
- Are you using greywater for irrigation? If so, how are you educating people about their responsibilities to this system?
- Sewage quarantining and processing
- Pest control
- Waste disposal
- Organic waste quarantining and processing
- Are you composting organic waste? If so, how are you educating people about their responsibilities to this system?
- Recyclables separation and processing
- Are you recycling? If so, how are you educating people about their responsibilities to this system?
- Other waste separation and landfilling
- Are you doing anything to minimize landfilling? If so, how are you educating people about their responsibilities to this system?
- Organic waste quarantining and processing
- Food
- Cooking facilities
- Equipment
- Skill – Cooking / Baking
- Skill – Food safety
- Food storage facilities
- See below for variants
- Skill – Food storage (See below for variants)
- Skill – Food safety
- Proteins
- How do members of your community access complete proteins?
- Animal meat
- How are you sourcing it?
- Agriculture
- Skill – Animal husbandry
- Ranchland sufficient for sustainably grazing herds
- Equipment
- Disease control
- Pest control
- Winter fodder for herds
- Water for herds
- Hunting
- Skill – Hunting / Trapping
- Equipment
- Rangeland sufficient for sustainably supporting wildlife
- Agriculture
- Slaughtering
- Appropriate facility
- Equipment
- Skill – Carcass dressing
- Butchering
- Sanitary facility
- Equipment
- Skill – Butchering
- Storage
- Cold storage
- Drying/salting/smoking and dry storage
- Skill – Meat curing / charcuterie
- Canning and dry storage
- Skill – Canning
- How are you sourcing it?
- Plant sources
- Farmland sufficient to sustainably grow appropriate crops
- Seed supplier
- Skill – Farming / Gardening
- Irrigation water
- Planting equipment
- Weed control
- Pest control
- Harvesting equipment
- Processing equipment
- Processing facilities
- Appropriate storage
- Skill – Plant protein processing
- Animal meat
- How do members of your community access complete proteins?
- Fats
- How do members of your community access needed fatty acids?
- Animal meat
- How are you sourcing it?
- Agriculture
- Skill – Animal husbandry
- Ranchland sufficient for sustainably grazing herds
- Equipment
- Disease control
- Pest control
- Winter fodder for herds
- Water for herds
- Hunting (Many wild animals are not good sources of fat.)
- Skill – Hunting / Trapping
- Equipment
- Rangeland sufficient for sustainably supporting wildlife
- Agriculture
- Slaughtering
- Appropriate facility
- Equipment
- Skill – Carcass dressing
- Butchering
- Sanitary facility
- Equipment
- Skill – Fat rendering
- Cold storage or canning and dry storage
- How are you sourcing it?
- Animal dairy
- Skill – Animal husbandry
- Ranchland sufficient for sustainably grazing herds
- Equipment
- Disease control
- Pest control
- Winter fodder for herds
- Water for herds
- Sanitary dairy facility
- Equipment
- Skill – Milking
- Skill – Butter making
- Skill – Cheesemaking
- Cold storage or canning and dry storage
- Plant sources
- Farmland sufficient to sustainably grow appropriate crops
- Seed supplier
- Skill – Farming / Gardening
- Irrigation water
- Planting equipment
- Weed control
- Pest control
- Harvesting equipment
- Processing equipment
- Processing facilities
- Appropriate oil storage
- Skill – Oil extraction
- Animal meat
- How do members of your community access needed fatty acids?
- Carbohydrates
- How do members of your community access the majority of their caloric needs?
- Gathering
- Skill – Foraging
- Rangeland sufficient for sustainably supporting plant diversity
- Equipment
- Skill – Foraging
- Agriculture
- Farmland sufficient to sustainably grow appropriate crops
- Seed supplier
- Skill – Farming / Gardening
- Irrigation water
- Planting equipment
- Weed control
- Pest control
- Harvesting equipment
- Gathering
- Processing equipment
- Processing facilities
- Appropriate storage
- Skill – Staple food storage
- How do members of your community access the majority of their caloric needs?
- Micronutrients
- How do members of your community access needed micronutrients, such as from fruits and vegetables?
- Gathering
- Skill – Foraging
- Rangeland sufficient for sustainably supporting plant diversity
- Skill – Foraging
- Agriculture
- Farmland sufficient to sustainably grow appropriate crops
- Seed supplier
- Skill – Farming / Gardening
- Irrigation water
- Planting equipment
- Weed control
- Pest control
- Harvesting equipment
- Gathering
- Processing equipment
- Processing facilities
- Appropriate storage
- Skill – Plant drying
- Skill – Canning
- How do members of your community access needed micronutrients, such as from fruits and vegetables?
- Cooking facilities
- Clothing
- How do your residents clothe themselves?
- Appropriate equipment
- Appropriate sourcing
- Skill – Plant fiber processing
- Skill – Wool carding and spinning
- Skill – Weaving
- Skill – Knitting / crochet
- Skill – Women’s clothing construction
- Skill – Men’s clothing construction
- Skill – Straw plaiting
- Skill – Feltmaking
- Skill – Hattery
- Skill – Leather tanning
- Skill – Leatherworking
- Skill – Shoemaking
- Medicine
- How do your residents access healing?
- Skill – Allopathic (modern Western) medicine
- Skill – Traditional Chinese medicine
- Skill – Ayurvedic medicine
- Skill – Herbal medicine, Western
- Transportation
- Transport infrastructure
- Transport methods
- Is your village walkable? How can you improve/protect that?
- Power
- How do residents access the energy needed to do their work, run their housing, etc.?
- How do they see at night or in the absence of natural light?
- Communications
- How do residents communicate with each other?
- How do residents communicate with people outside the village?
- Is telecommuting important to the jobs of your residents?
- How vital is Internet access and at what speeds?
- New Members
- How does your community replace residents who leave, die, etc?
- Recruitment
- Children
- How does your community replace residents who leave, die, etc?
- Finance
- What role does money play in your village’s internal economy?
- How does your village raise enough money to pay for things that it cannot provide for within the village?
- How does your village pay for taxes on community assets?
- How do your residents raise enough money to buy things they cannot provide for themselves or barter for within the village?
- How do your residents pay their taxes?
- Skill – Accounting
- Security
- How will your village protect itself from criminals, etc.?
Wants
This section comprises factors that improve the quality of life in the village. While many of us would like the self-sufficiency of providing these entirely from within our communities, that is not always possible. Sourcing these needs from unaffiliated groups is a valid solution. Wants are considered “checked off” (satisfied) if they can be reasonably accessed by the village’s residents. “Reasonable” access will of course vary based on the specifics. Bullet points in bold are categories. Those in normal text are sub-wants. Entries in italics are notes for discussion rather than wants in and of themselves.
- Home furnishings
- Furniture
- Skill – Finish carpentry / cabinetmaking
- Skill – Upholstery
- Pottery
- Skill – Pottery
- Cutlery
- Skill – Knifemaking
- Skill – Finesmithing
- Glassware
- Skill – Glassmaking
- Skill – Glassblowing
- Furniture
- Health and beauty aids
- Soaps / cleaning supplies
- Skill – Soapmaking
- Skill – Broom making
- Skill – Brush making
- Beauty supplies
- Skill – Cosmetics making
- Skill – Perfumery
- Soaps / cleaning supplies
- Paper goods
- Skill – Papermaking
- Books
- Skill – Librarian
- Skill – Bookbinding
- Metal goods
- Skill – Smelting / metal recycling
- Skill – Blacksmithing
- Skill – Redsmithing
- Skill – Tinsmithing
- Skill – Metal fabrication (modern Western)
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