Brief History of the Community Movement

Thousands of intentional communities have been started in the United States since the late 1700s. Some, like Oneida Colony are remembered today despite having ended long ago. Historically, 90% of all intentional communities fail within their first few years- a dismal record until one considers that the failure rate for normal business ventures is around 99% for the same time period.

The modern intentional community movement began in 1986, when the Fellowship for Intentional Community started publishing Communities Magazine.
http://www.ic.org. Co-Housing, an important development in this burgeoning movement, also began in the 1980’s. http://www.cohousing.org/

By 2003, enough experience and data existed to publish a “how to” to help new communities thrive: Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Eco-villages and Intentional Communities by Diana Leafe Christian, New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, BC Canada, 2003. Research and experimentation continues today.