Dear_one wrote:
I have been interested in intentional communities for a long time, and my priorities have a lot more to do with location and sustainability than the people. Finding a group in adequate accord seems quite improbable.
The last time I was involved in a nascent community, every time we raised money for land, the price had gone up, and then things started to get very lopsided when we tried to bring in larger contributors.
I am also sceptical of Aspie social planning. I think it would tend toward isolation. I used to be in a large organization of nerds, but the president was only interested in the people, and was just what we needed.
So back to the question:
Would you relocate to a co-op that had as a requirement for membership an AS diagnosis?
I feel the intentional community idea is so well meaning and radical that it becomes difficult to bring to fruition. Co-operative housing on the other hand has countless successful examples. I'm curious if others would feel as excited about the idea as myself.
Where intentional communities lose their steam is trying to essentially enforce community - there is often a notion of shared work for the greater good etc. Too many examples of this failing, but I'll point to the kibbutz movement in Israel.
An AS themed co-op is a shared ownership in the co-op, but this the extent of sharing usually. I would conceive of a co-op where everyone living there is high functioning and self-supporting but there wouldn't be shared labor or a rotation of communal duties etc. It's simply a co-ownership of the building and one of the requirements is an AS diagnosis. Rather than a shared kitchen with revolving kitchen duties like many IC's include in their design in order to ensure shared meals and community building - it would make sense to have some shared spaces for optional gathering but not to enforce this as a part of membership. A remote work station with tables for those who want to work in close proximity to others and isolated desks for those who want to be in a room with others but not as close, would be the most practical shared space given how most people are now on a remote work schedule. This would also be one of the selling featured and who this community is really designed for: if you are remote and can work from anywhere and you want to be part of a community of people more like yourself.
And by nature of proximity, community forms especially when it's not forced. I would love the idea of living in a building where I know everyone there is more like me than the general population. And then just allowing an organic unfolding of connections as a result of getting enough similar people together who generally feel preyed upon by a cruel outside world. Friendships would invariably result. There would be less loneliness for many.