The internal and external benefits of intentional communities: Cohousing, energy communities, and religion-based communities beyond idealisation

Interest in intentional communities is growing in both public debate and the academic literature. However, their benefits are often considered from an uncritical or idealised perspective. This paper examines three distinct types of intentional communities – cohousing communities, energy communities, and religion-based communities – and conducts a critical analysis of their respective benefits. It shows that, while internal benefits for their members (i.e. psychological, functional, and economic benefits) are generally well supported, external benefits for society at large (i.e. distributive, environmental, and civic benefits) are often unclear, limited, or contingent on additional conditions.