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Ecovillages are intentional communities whose goal is to become more socially, economically and ecologically sustainable. Most range from a population of 50 to 150 individuals, although some are smaller, and larger ecovillages of up to 2,000 individuals exist as networks of smaller subcommunities. Certain ecovillages have grown by the addition of individuals, families, or other small groups who are not necessarily members settling on the periphery of the ecovillage and effectively participating in the ecovillage community. Ecovillagers are united by shared ecological, social-economic and cultural-spiritual values.〔Van Schyndel Kasper, D. (2008). ("Redefining Community in the Ecovillage." ) ''Human Ecology Review'' 15:12-24. Retrieved on: 2009-08-27.〕 Concretely, ecovillagers seek alternatives to ecologically destructive electrical, water, transportation, and waste-treatment systems, as well as the larger social systems that mirror and support them. Many see the breakdown of traditional forms of community, wasteful consumerist lifestyles, the destruction of natural habitat, urban sprawl, factory farming, and over-reliance on fossil fuels as trends that must be changed to avert ecological disaster and create richer and more fulfilling ways of life. Ecovillages offer small-scale communities with minimal ecological impact or regenerative impacts as an alternative. However, such communities often cooperate with peer villages in networks of their own (''see'' Global Ecovillage Network for an example). This model of collective action is similar to that of Ten Thousand Villages, which supports the fair trade of goods worldwide. ==Definition== In 1991, Robert Gilman set out a definition of an ecovillage that became standard. Gilman defined an ecovillage as a: "human-scale full-featured settlement in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development, and can be successfully continued into the indefinite future."〔Gilman, Robert (Summer, 1991). ("The Eco-village Challenge" ). ''In Context.'' Retrieved on: 2008-04-09.〕 In recent years, Gilman has stated that he would also add the criterion that an ecovillage must have ''multiple centres of initiative''.〔(Robert Gilman on "Multiple Centers of Initiative." ) Ecovillages Newsletter. Retrieved on: 2011-11-09.〕 Kosha Joubert, President of the Global Ecovillage Network, more recently has defined an Ecovillage as an intentional or traditional community consciously designed by its inhabitants, in which people consciously value what they have and integrate this with innovative technologies to make their lives more sustainable, and the whole process is owned by the people living there. The aim is to regenerate social and natural environments. In this view, achieving sustainability is not enough; it is vital also to regenerate the social and environmental fabric of life, and across all four dimensions of sustainability: social, environmental, economic and cultural.〔() Ecovillage Conference 2012. Retrieved on 2012-12-05.〕 Eco-villages have developed in recent years as technology has improved so they have more sophisticated structures as noted by Baydoun, M. 2013. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「ecovillage」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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