Andre Soares . We're about a decade into this ecovillage movement now and it is getting easier to see who the players are. At the core of te effort, at least in the Americas, are the intentional communities. Some of them have been going more than 30 years and have built an organically sustainable base of support. But sometimes the advantages are reversed.
Rural villages have a difficult time raising either money or recruits.
Eco-cities can get both with relative ease. Rural locations encounter obstacles marketing their wares, attaching to the internet, and accessing an acceptable standard of medical, educational and social services. Cities are wired up and almost anything can be purchased, begged, or wheedled. There is also an emerging ecovillage constituency falling between these two dominant models. A good example of this new middle can be found right here in Lewis County, Tennessee, where the ENA central office is located.