Village Tours
Education has always been one of the missions of Village Habitat Design. They have produced video, written, and speak at conferences across the country and the world. Now, through Village Tours, LLC, principals from Village Habitat Design are leading 10-day programs in Italy and France including a bicycle tour of the Dordogne Valley in France.
The concept for the trips is to spend 10 days in a truly beautiful place, enjoy good food and drink and conversation, and get some fresh inspiration for what sustainable development can be, guided by leaders in the profession.
On the trip participants:
- Spend a week in a historic home [a castle in Italy]
- Enjoy seeing some of the charming old villages of Tuscany or Provence off the beaten tourist track
- Get some inspiration for how to use some of those good old ideas in your own projects here in the USA
- Have a guide the whole time
- Get a tax deduction
We have all been sold the idea that sustainable community is all about sacrifice and deprivation and space age technology. On these trips we will study closely the features of sustainable community that yield joy an delight and fulfillment. These are places that have remained unchanged for 500 years and are still providing a vibrant contentment for residents today.
We have also all been sold the window dressing of the "European village" and we feel cheated. but when one looks past the mere trappings, these remarkable examples show the lessons adaptable to American climates and traditions.
The trip to Tuscany emphasizes how built features preserve land while creating spaces that people love to live in. How do you make a plaza that people want to hang out in, that attract life? How do you have density at the same time that you have privacy and a profound connection to your community? You can see how in these ancient villages.
The Provence trip likewise enjoys the delights of medieval villages, but with the added bonus of Provencal cooking. On the Provence trip the participants talk with local planners, through your interpreter and trip leader Greg Ramsey, to learn how French districts plan for growth wile preserving their traditions of local farming, cottage industry, inclusive community, and wilderness. All in the intoxicating beauty of these villages and countryside.
Guided by the principals of Village Habitat Design, and with these rich examples spread out before us, it becomes easy to imagine a high demand for sustainable community in the U.S.
These trips are made up of very small groups; usually no more than 8 people. With such small groups the trips are intimate, and can easily be tailored to the desires of the participants. But it also means that the trips fill early.
For more information on these trips visit http://VillageTours.info
