A Place Within a Place: Location Choice by Intentional Communities

The classic geographical question of choosing a location has received little attention in studies on urban intentional communities (ICs), despite ICs being, as we suggest, geographical entities. As a group of people organised under shared norms and goals, who reside together in a particular geographical space and are involved in frequent, intensive relationships, an IC requires a location (city or neighbourhood) that is commensurate with its goals. We look upon it as a multi-stage process of selecting a location that also involves the ex post-facto evaluation of ICs' sense of place and place-making needed for the chosen location to be successful. Three Israeli ICs are analysed through interviews with insights drawn regarding this process. We propose using these insights as a foundation towards a broader global discussion on locational choice by ICs.