We searched high and low for the most interesting communities in the United States. New Urbanism, Utopian and Intentional living, CoHousing communities, and geographic areas redefining themselves into a Village Community where support and resources combine to create a strong network of options. If you are looking for more traditional living options, you may find some you like over on Active Retirement Communities.

New Urbanism

What is New Urbanism?

New Urbanism Definition:

There are three things that define this type of development in our minds…

-Lots of variously priced housing and job options close to retail and services
-Smaller lot footprints in exchange for amazing common spaces
-Walkability at the top of the developers planning strategy

This type of community is also typically eco-friendly.

celebration florida new urbanism
Image courtesy of Wikipedia user SimonHardt93 CC Sharealike

See Our List of New Urbanism Developments by State
There are so many New Urbanism communities and places getting really close to meeting the definition so this list attempts to be inclusive instead of defining New Urban communities as specifically new and mixed use. And please suggest others in the comment section at the bottom of this page. We love finding out about new places to live the work/live/walk dream.

Alabama City Community
  Blount Springs Blount Springs
  Hoover The Preserve
  Huntsville Providence
  Huntsville The Ledges
  Montgomery Hampstead
  Orange Beach Tannin
  Shelby County Mt. Laurel
  Trussville Trussville Springs
 
Arizona City Community
  Buckeye Verrado
 
Arkansas City Community
  Conway The Village at Hendrix
 
California City Community
  Chico Barber Yard
  Chico Doe Mill
  Chico Meriam Park
  Chico Westside Place
  Davis Aggie Village
  Elk Grove Laguna West
  Los Angeles Playa Vista
  San Diego City of Villages
  San Diego Civita
 
Colorado City Community
  Buena Vista South Main
  Denver Highlands’ Garden Village
  Denver Stapleton
  Durango Three Springs
  Longmont Prospect New Town
  Westminster Bradburn Village
 
Florida City Community
  Baldwin Park New Broad Street
  Boca Raton Miner Park
  Brandon Winthrop
  Calhoun County Sky
  Celebration Disney
  Celebration Reunion
  Central Florida The Villages
  Destin WaterColor near Destin
  Fernandina Beach Amelia Park on Amelia Island
  Freeport Owl’s Head
  Gainesville Brytan
  Gainesville Haile Plantation
  Jupiter Abacoa
  Lake Nona Laureate Park
  Miami Miami Lakes
  Miami Salamanca
  Orlando Avalon Park
  Orlando Baldwin Park
  Palm Beach County Wellington
  Port St. Lucie Tradition
  Rosemary Beach Rosemary Beach
  Seaside Seaside
  St. Cloud Harmony near St. Cloud
  Tallahassee Southwood
  West Palm Beach City Place
  Winter Garden Independence
  Winter Garden Oakland Park
 
Georgia City Community
  Atlanta Glenwood Park
  Atlanta Inman Park Village
  Chattachoochee Hills Serenbe
  Cumming Vickery
  LaGrange Magnolia
  New Manchester Tributary
 
 
Hawaii City Community
  Olowalu, Maui Olawalu Town
 
Indiana City Community
  Glenview The Glen
  Grayslake Prairie Crossing
 
Indiana City Community
  Anson Anson
  Carmel Village of West Clay
  Saxony Saxony
 
Iowa City Community
  Ankeny Prairie Trail
  Iowa City The Peninsula Neighborhood
  West Des Moines Village of Ponderosa
  West Des Moines West Glen Town Center
 
Kansas City Community
  Kansas City New Market
  Leawood Park Place
  Lenexa City Center
 
Kentucky City Community
    none found please help if you know of one
     
Louisville City Community
  Butchertown RiverPark Place
  Park DuValle Park DuValle
  Phoenix hill Liberty Green
  Worthington Norton Commons
 
Louisiana City Community
  Baton Rouge Perkins Rowe
  Covington TerraBella
  Lafayette River Ranch
  New Orleans River Garden
  Shreveport Provenance
  Thibodaux Acadia Plantation
  West Baton Rouge Riverview
  Youngsville Sugar Mill Pond
  Baton Rouge Settlement at Willow Grove
  Central Village at Magnolia Square
 
Maryland City Community
  Gaithersburg Kentlands
  Gaithersburg Lakelands
  La Plata Stage Coach Crossing
  Ocean City Sunset Island
  Rockville King Farm
  Sandy Spring Sandy Spring
  Snow Hill Summerfield
  St. Michaels Miles Point
 
Massachusetts City Community
  Mashpee Mashpee Commons
 
Michigan City Community
    none found please help if you know of one
     
Minnesota City Community
  Bloomington Penn and American
  Burnsville Heart of the City
  Chaska Clover Ridge
  Lino Lakes Lino Lakes Town Center
  Maple Grove The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes
  St. Louis Park Excelsior and Grand
 
Mississippi City Community
  Biloxi Tradition
  Gulfport Florence Gardens
  Hattiesburg Bellegrass
  Madison County The Town of Lost Rabbit
  Starkville The Cotton District
 
Missouri City Community
  Blue Springs The Village at Chapman Lake
  Columbia Village of Cherry Hill
  Kansas City River Market
  Kansas City The Village at Shoal Creek Valley
  Kansas City Zona Rosa
  Kirkwood Station Plaza
  Lee’s Summit New Longview Lake
  Liberty The New Town at Liberty
  North Kansas City Northgate Village
  Raytown Crescent Creek Homes
  St. Charles The New Town
 
New Mexico City Community
  Albuquerque Mesa del Sol
  Santa Fe Aldea de Santa Fe
 
New Jersey City Community
  Chesterfield Township Old York Village
  Jersey City Bayfront
  Jersey City Canal Crossing
  Newark University Heights
 
New York City Community
  Esopus Lake Ewen Point
  Warwick Warwick Grove
 
North Carolina City Community
  Asheville Biltmore Park
  Black Mountain Cheshire
  Chapel Hill Southern Village and Meadowmont
  Charlotte Ayrsley
  Concord Afton Village
  Harrisburg Harrisburg Town Center
  Huntersville Birkdale Village
  Huntersville Vermillion
  Jackson County Trillium
  Union County Lake Park
  Wilmington Mayfaire Town Center
 
Oklahoma City Community
  Eufaula Carlton Landing
 
Ohio City Community
  Barberton New Haven
  Beavercreek The Greene
  Columbus Arena District
  Columbus Easton Town Center
  Columbus Jeffrey Place
  Columbus South Campus Gateway
  Dublin Jerome Village
  Gahanna Creekside Gahanna
 
Oregon City Community
  Bend Northwest Crossing
  Fairview Fairview Village
  Hillsboro Orenco Station
  Portland Hoyt Street Yards
  Portland New Columbia
  Portland South Waterfront
  Salem Pringle Creek Community
  Wilsonville Villebois
 
Pennsylvania City Community
  Gettysburg Black Horse
  Mechanicsburg Walden Crossroads
  Pittsburgh Crawford Square
  Pittsburgh SouthSide Works
  Pittsburgh Summerset at Frick Park
 
South Carolina City Community
  Beaufort Celadon on Lady’s Island
  Beaufort Habersham
  Charleston Morris Square
  Columbia Lake Carolina
  Fort Mill Baxter Village
  Greenville Griffin Park
  Mt. Pleasant I’On Village
  Myrtle Beach The Market Common
 
Tennessee City Community
  Cordova Chapel Park Boulevard
  Franklin Westhaven
  Knoxville Northshore Town Center
  Lakeland Lakeland Green
  Memphis Harbor Town
  Memphis South Bluffs
  Shelby County Cordova the Town
 
Texas City Community
  Addison Addison Circle
  Austin Austin Ranch
  Austin Mueller
  Dallas West Village and Uptown
  Flower Mound Parker Square
  Galveston Beachtown
  Garland Firewheel Town Center
  Houston BLVD Place
  Houston Regent Square
  Houston River Oaks District
  Katy La Centerra
  Kyle, TX Plum Creek
  McKinney Craig Ranch
  Plano Legacy Town Center
  Plano Lexington Park
  Port Aransas Cinnamon Shore
  Port Aransas Palmilla Beach
  Port Aransas Sunflower Beach
  Southlake Southlake Town Square
  Sugar Land Sugar Land Town Square
  The Woodlands The Woodlands Market Center
 
Utah City Community
  South Jordan Daybreak Community
 
Virginia City Community
  Fredericksburg Leeland Station
  Henrico County West Broad Village
  Loudoun County Belmont Forest
  Richmond, Virginia Rockets Landing
  Spotsylvania County New Post
 
Washington City Community
  Bonney Lake Cascadia
  DuPont Northwest Landing
  Issaquah Issaquah Highlands
  Seattle High Point
  Seattle NewHolly/Othello Station
 
Wisconsin City Community
  Madison Grandview Commons
  Madison The Village at Autumn Lake
  Middleton Middleton Hills
  Milwaukee Bayshore Town Square
  Milwaukee Beerline B
  Sun Prairie Liberty Square
  Sun Prairie Providence
  Sun Prairie Smiths Crossing
  Sun Prairie The Uplands
 
West Virginia City Community
  none found please help if you know of one

Utopian and Intentional Communities

What is a Utopian or Intentional Community?

Utopian / Intentional Community Definition:

These communities are all about working together. Very often members share the same religion, lifestyle practices, or environmental viewpoints, and want to live in a close knit group to meet their personal lifestyle choice goals.

Co-housing, survivalist, communes, eco-villages, and other like minded, sharing of resource type communities all fall under the umbrella of intentional or utopian.

live in an artists colony
Intentional goes high end at NOHO Senior Arts Colony
Examples includes artist colonies, family co-housing groups, and nudist colonies. There are intentional communities for all kinds of interests, although the most common is focused on preservation of the earth’s resources and sharing the growing of food.

See Our List of Intentional, Utopian, and Eco-Village Communities by State

There are many more than listed but some communities prefer their privacy. Please suggest others if you think they would appreciate being shared in our community.

Arizona City Community
  Tucson Milagro Crossing
 
California City Community
  Los Angeles NoHo Senior Arts Colony
 
Hawaii City Community
  Big Island Polestar Yoga Community
 
Missouri City Community
  Rutledge Dancing Rabbit EcoVillage
 
New York City Community
  Ithaca EcoVillage at Ithaca
 
North Carolina City Community
  Asheville Earthhaven EcoVillage
 
Texas City Community
  Austin Capital City EcoVillage

Village Communities

What is a Village Community?

Village Community Definition:

This is a new designation achieved by meeting the health and well-being of residents in addition to day to day living needs of a variety of ages and income levels. These are often villages, but can also be a defined geographical area for which a support system is created and made available to residents.

In addition to a traditional village where proximity to all things makes life a bit more connected, other place types qualify as “villages” when it comes to services working together to support a population.

It can be an urban neighborhood, a housing community, a rural portion of a county, a suburb, or anywhere else that people and services have come together to live a village type life with added support systems in place.

More Alternative Housing Community Resources

Here are a few other pages that might help you narrow down your search. If you find a state or a great little town that fits your needs, then expand your search online by using the state or town name and co-housing, or village, or other related term.

If you’re interest is specifically small towns and villages, try our Best Places to Retire page.

Cheap Safe Places to Retire
Safest Places to Retire List
Best States to Retire
Worst States to Retire

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