Current thinking on sustainable human habitat: the Findhorn Ecovillagecase

Abstract

Ecovillages worldwide address the contemporary quest for sustainability while increasing bioregional literacy and developing processes and tools that aim to reduce their ecological footprints. The Scotland-based Findhorn Ecovillage is one of them. Designated UN-Habitat Best Practice as a model for holistic and sustainable living in 1998, it has been incorporated in the UN Habitat data base of initiatives which are making outstanding contributions to improving the quality of life in cities and communities around the world (UN Habitat, 2017). The article analyses how twenty years later the pioneering eco-settlement has advanced the sustainability agenda in the context of food production, energy systems, built environment, biodiversity, local economy and carbon footprint. The article concludes, two decades later, the Findhorn Ecovillage continues to play a role as a research and development centre for carbon-constrained lifestyles , providing solutions to human and social needs, protecting the environment and offering an enhanced quality of life for all.