EVI’s picturesque SONG neighborhood (Second Neighborhood Group) has received much media attention, but the uniqueness of the homes made them relatively expensive.

Because FROG (First Residents Group) hired an architect, its homes are more homogeneous and less costly. Both neighborhoods use passive solar design and hyper-efficient energy technology.

FROG’s spacious dining room and commercial kitchen can accommodate well over 100 people, providing an ideal venue for birthday parties and other special events.

FROG residents have dinner together several nights per week. Because they share shopping, cooking, and cleaning duties, costs are low and social interaction is high. (Photo: Jim Bosjolie) (p. 83)

FROG’s dining room doubles as a large meeting space.

Amenities in the FROG commonhouse basement include children’s playrooms, a laundry room, and this reused clothing room. (Photo: Jim Bosjolie)

Residents initially balked when local authorities required them to have a large source of water available in case of fire, but they now enjoy swimming in the summer and ice-skating in the winter.

Another benefit of sharing 175 acres is this sauna, which residents built themselves. (Photo: Jim Bosjolie)

Work parties are common at EVI. Here, residents celebrate after building a bridge between the FROG and SONG neighborhoods. (Photo: Jim Bosjolie)

EVI hopes to help connect Ithaca’s city dwellers more deeply to their food. Kestrel Perch Berry Farm is one of EVI’s privately operated farms.

Operating on 10 acres of EVI land, West Haven Farm sells produce at the local farmers’ market and through its CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

CSA members include EVI residents, giving new meaning to the term Community Supported Agriculture. (pp. 54-5)

The Groundswell Center, headquartered at EVI, coordinates with other farms in the region to train new farmers.

EVI is applying the lessons from its first two neighborhoods to TREE (Third Residential EcoVillage Experience). An artist's rendition shown here. Photo: EcoVillage and Ithaca.

For an inspiring account of EVI’s early years, see this personal account by one of the founders, Liz Walker.

Ecovillage at Ithaca

EcoVillage at Ithaca, with its architectural designs and angular wooden construction, sees itself as a model for middle America.

A suburban co-housing community with roughly 100 adults and 60 children living on 175 acres in upstate New York, EVI has succeeded in reducing its average per capita ecological footprint to about half the U.S. average, while enjoying most of the comforts and conveniences of the proverbial American Dream—plus much more.

Residents enjoy trails for walking and cross-country skiing and a pond for swimming and ice-skating, as well as the bounty from two ecovillage farms. Other amenities include a plethora of on-site businesses as well as offices for working from home, a tool library, car sharing, a children’s room, a fitness room, and much more.

EVI is now applying lessons from its first two neighborhoods, FROG and SONG, to build its third neighborhood (TREE). This will bring EVI one step closer to its projected population of 500. In building TREE, EVI has partnered with the EPA and Tompkins County to showcase the social and ecological benefits of tightly clustered, ultra-efficient homes in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. For more on TREE, see http://www.ecovillageithaca.org/treenew/index.php

Official site: http://ecovillageithaca.org/evi/

Virtual tour http://ecovillageithaca.org/evi/index.php/about/virtual-tour

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