Ask HN: What types of alternative communities have you seen work or not and why?

I’ve always been interested in alternatives to the discrete, isolated mode of living that most Westerners are familiar with. Think an individual, couple, or nuclear family living on their own property without sharing resources with neighbours or extended family.

There are a wide range of alternatives out there, from multigenerational households to ‘intentional’ communities of over 1000 people. Some of the larger examples include urban communities like Christiania in Amsterdam or Hunziker Areal in Zurich and of course the more traditional rural communes - often founded during the counter-culture revolution of the late 60s and 70s. Most examples that I’m aware of have some kind of ‘intention’ other than simply existing. Things like low energy use (e.g. so called 2000 watt societies like Hunziker Areal), shared religious or spiritual beliefs, or some other foundational principals like concern for the environment. Another thing that a lot of these communities often share is some kind of enterprise. Some examples I’m personally familiar with are orchards, bee products, and fur products (all rural examples).

There are so many ways that these communities can work and probably even more ways that they can fail. A few problems I’ve seen are a failing joint enterprise without a successful pivot to something else, the issue of moving beyond the founding generation (e.g. the land becoming valuable leading to a reticence to bring in new members and dilute the early member’s ‘wealth’), and intense personal politics (ironic given that people are often attracted by the possibility of leaving the rat race and mainstream politics).

I’ve been lucky enough to experience living in lots of different arrangements. A ‘hippy’ commune and then a marae (traditional māori community in NZ) as a child. The typical nuclear family situation. Multigenerational family living. With a couple of housemates. With a dozen housemates. Alone. With a partner. On a large urban property with three dwellings and shared gardens.

All have had their advantages and disadvantages, and I often think about what might be my ideal. I like my private space. I don’t like strict ideology. I like sitting down to dinner with a lot of people, cooking for and with others, sharing projects (without too much obligation!), sharing resources (like a workshop), having a safe space for young children to roam together, the list goes on… I’m really curious about other people’s experiences. Have you lived in some kind of alternative communal arrangement? Do you live near one? What have you seen work? What doesn’t?